,Ayr'.' 4
ADULT
SABBATH SCHOOL
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
OCT NOV DEC 2001
nos
Seek Me and Live
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Copyright 0 2001 by the Office of the Adult Bible Study Guide, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, USA.
Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide (ISSN 1096-7400)/No. 426/October-December 2001.
Contents
1.
The Non-Prophet Prophet
(September 29—October 5)
6
2.
Sins of the Neighbors
(October 6-12)
14
3.
"Hear This Word"
(October 13-19)
22
4.
Prepare to Meet Thy God
(October 20-26)
30
5.
"Seek the Lord"
(October 27—November 2)
38
6.
Pass Over or Pass Through?
(November 3-9)
46
7.
"At Ease in Zion"
(November 10-16)
56
8.
Vision One—Locusts and Prayer
(November 17-23)
64
9.
Vision Two—Judgment by Fire
(November 24-30)
72
10.
Vision Three—The Plumb Line
(December 1-7)
80
11.
Vision Four—Summer Fruit
(December 8-14)
88
12.
Vision Five—No Escape for the Lost
(December 15-21)
96
13.
Restoration
(December 22-28)
104
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The Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is prepared by the Office of the Adult Bible
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reflects the input of the committee and thus does not solely or necessarily represent the
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Check your local Adventist Book Center
for the companion book to the Adult
Sabbath School Bible Study Guide.
DITOR'S OVERVIEW
"A Higher View of Things"
/
n 1884, British clergyman and amateur mathematician Edwin
Abbott wrote
Flatland,
a book about the incredible adventures
of A. Square, a rather flat character who lived in two dimensions
only. For A. Square, the universe consisted of a single plane; reality
(and that's
all
reality) went either north and south, or east and west.
The notions of up and down, height and depth, were inconceivable.
A. Square once visited Lineland, whose inhabitants lived in a
single straight line alone; this meant that, for them, reality existed
as forward or backward only. Linelanders could not even begin to
conceive of anything such as width, and when A. Square tried to
explain that there was a greater dimension to reality than a mere
line, the notion was rebuffed by Linelanders as absurd.
A. Square then visited Pointland, where all reality consisted only
of a single point: There was no forward or backward (as in Lineland)
or no width (as in Flatland), and trying to convince anyone in
Pointland otherwise was as futile as trying to convince those in
Lineland that sideways existed.
Then one day A. Square was visited by someone from Spaceland,
a person who lived in three dimensions. A. Square thought it ludi-
crous, this notion of a reality beyond the two dimensions that made
up the universe as it appeared to him. However, only after a visit to
Spaceland, did he eventually accept what he called "a higher view
of things." In fact, he tried to convince his Spaceland guide that
there could be dimensions of existence beyond even Spaceland, a
notion that his Spaceland guide rejected as "utterly inconceivable,"
just as Pointlanders did with the idea of forward and backward, as
Linelanders did with the notion of sideways, and as A. Square first
did with the concept of height.
This quarter's study deals with the Old Testament book of Amos,
which reads almost like Abbott's
Flatland,
in the sense that it tells
about Someone, in this case the Lord, trying to help a people
understand a reality that goes beyond what's immediately acces-
sible to their senses. The Israelites were living only for the moment,
within the narrow confines of their little world, where things seemed
(and we stress that word
seemed)
so good. The reality, of course—
which was greater than the narrow view of reality that they knew—
turned out to be radically different from how it appeared. And, like
those in Pointland, Lineland, Flatland, and even in Spaceland, they
wouldn't easily listen to the One who tried to give them a broader,
wider, and more encompassing perspective.
And, no doubt, Leo Van Dolson, the author of this quarter's
Bible Study Guide, would like us, as we study these lessons, to ask
ourselves the crucial question:
Are we limiting our view of reality to
only what we see, or will we open our hearts to the One who has,
through the revelation of His Son, given us "a higher view of
things"?
2
INTRODUCTIOP
Amos: Seek Me and Live
T
hough written on the other side of a long expanse of time, the
words of the Old Testament prophets echo, even loudly,
today. Though these prophets spoke to their own era and their
own people, their messages aren't just interesting historical asides,
tidbits on the lives and toils and loves of another people in another
place and in another epoch. They have been preserved for us today
because they have messages for us today. And however different
the style, the context, and the specifics, the messages almost all
come down to one thing: God is calling us to die to self and
surrender our sinful, wicked ways to Him; a God who forgives,
heals, restores; a God who will ultimately bring us into an existence
so wonderful that our imagination can't even begin to dare envision
it.
Yet, as always, people have a hard time listening, accepting,
believing. Maybe the news, that of a God willing to forgive, to heal,
to pardon our sins, is simply too good for people to easily believe?
More than likely, however, people simply enjoy too much "the
pleasure of sin for a season" (even though the season always changes),
and thus these people don't want to heed God's merciful, loving
voice.
Nevertheless, He calls anyway. And we hear His pleas, His
shouts, His begging, all through sacred Scripture, including the
book of Amos, the subject of this quarter's lesson study. In the Old
Testament, as in Amos, these calls often come in the form of the
prophetic messages, which usually begin with diatribes against the
continuing sin and apostasy of God's people, and often are followed
by vivid descriptions of where the continuing sin and apostasy will
lead. To the uninitiated, the Old Testament can sound like a fearful
book expressing the thoughts of a fearsome God. Those, however,
who know this God personally know, in fact, that the opposite is true.
The strong words and warnings of the prophets are nothing but the
pleadings and admonitions of a loving and caring God. Out of infi-
nite love and care, He is trying to save a people who, due to the
nature of a fallen world, are utterly incapable of saving themselves.
Even amid all the gloom and doom and warnings of judgment and
locusts, plagues and armies, captivity and fire, the fibers of hope, of
promise, of salvation, of redemption, and of restoration are always
woven through these messages. And that's because, in the end, when
all is said and done, one universal, irrefutable, and eternal truth
provides the foundation of all truth and reality, and that is: Our God
is a loving, saving, healing God who calls out to us these simple
words: "Seek Me and live."
3
What It
Means for
the Last
Days
I-1
IF,
AMOS
HSSAGE
SABBM
SCHOOL
HELPS
BOOK,
FOURTH
QUARTER
2001
It was a time when justice was a joke. Government
was corrupt. Religion was hollow. And God was
mocked. America in the third millennium? No, Israel
in the 700s B.C. *
SO
GOD SENT AMOS.
His
stirring call to repentance still reverberates today. Leo R.
Van Dolson applies the visions of Amos to the needs of a
planet undergoing its final crisis, showing how his strong
rebukes and loving appeals are relevant to modern
Adventists living in a similar society.
The Amos
Message
is of utmost importance to those preparing to
meet Jesus, and it appeals to all of us to make whatever
preparation is necessary to reign with Him forever in the
earth made new.
0-8280-1581-3
Paperback
US$8.99,
Can$13.49
Price and availability
subject to change.
Add GST in Canada.
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DoLsoN
AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL ADVENTIST BOOK CENTER.
1-800-765-6955 www.adventistbookcenter.com
I
Review and Herald Publishing
years
It's been 62 years since
Cuba received
a 13th Sabbath Offering!
But the church continues to grow. In the six
years between 1994 and 2000 membership in
Cuba more than doubled, from 11,000 to
more than 23,000. This figure does not
include children, which would increase it to
well over 35,000.
You can have a part in strengthening the
church in Cuba. The Thirteenth Sabbath
Offering will help build chapels, a seminary
church, and a youth camp in Cuba.
Read
Mission
to learn how God is changing
lives in Cuba.
Lesson 1
*September 29—October 5
The Non-Prophet Prophet
'fog
.
65
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1
7
fr-
p_
Sabbath Afternoon
C
ailed by the Lord to give a message, yet opposed at almost
every turn by the those who (supposedly) were working for the
same Lord, Amos probably would have found it easier to be
selling life insurance than to be a prophet (though, some might argue
that, in some ways, the jobs are not all that different).
This week's lesson, which introduces us to the book of Amos,
gives the background of the time and circumstances in which Amos
was called to minister. His was not an easy task to perform, particu-
larly in the setting in which he was called to perform it. Only as we
understand the background of his ministry can we understand why
his name means "burden-bearer," for this faithful servant of the Lord
certainly had burdens to bear.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Who was Amos? What was his
training? What gave him, this "layman," the right to rebuke the
nation's spiritual and political leadership? What were the times
like in which he worked? What kind of leadership did he face?
How did he preach? Why did God
give
him a message?
MEMORY TEXT: "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah,
I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an
herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took
me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go,
prophesy unto my people Israel" (Amos 7:14, 15).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 6.)
6
Sunday
September 30
THE NON-PROPHET PROPHET (Amos 1:1; 7:14).
I
t was a big leap—from tending animals and gathering sycamore
figs, to standing before the nation's political and religious elite,
denouncing their sins, and warning them about the judgments of
God. What made this task even worse was that Amos was called to do
it at a time of national wealth and prosperity, when no one wants to
hear the low drones of pessimistic doomsayers. Yet this is exactly
what Amos, from "among the herdmen of Tekoa" (Amos 1:1), did.
Who was this lowly, uneducated country boy who dared shake his
finger at the establishment?
Read Amos 1:1. Notice what is missing. There is no attempt by
Amos to justify his calling, his mission, his work. It begins,
simply, with only this introduction: "The words of Amos ..." He
then utters his warnings and admonitions. Perhaps the key to
understanding this attitude is found in the following verses (Amos
1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 6). What do they say about the source of his
authority and power?
The book that bears his name gives very little information about
Amos. In the seventh chapter, Amos basically repeats what he said in
the first verse of the first chapter, which is that he was a herdsman
and a "gatherer of sycomore fruit" (Amos 7:14). Nevertheless, he
here justifies his ministry, claiming that the Lord had called him to
"prophesy unto my people Israel" (vs. 15). What more did he need?
God called him—that was all that mattered.
Amos said: "'I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son"' (vs. 14, RSV).
The "sons of the prophets" refers to those educated in the schools of
the prophets started by Samuel. In other words, he wasn't a "profes-
sional," yet that didn't stop him.
Compare Amos with the apostle Paul. Read the opening lines of
some of Paul's epistles. In most cases, he establishes his credentials
in the same way Amos did. (See Rom. 1:1, 2; Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1.) At
the same time, look at the contrast between Paul and Amos, at least in
regard to their backgrounds.
The call of Amos does teach that one doesn't need to be a
recognized "professional" to have a crucial role in ministry. At
the same time, however, Amos doesn't teach that everyone who
claims to be called by God is, in fact, called by God. How can we
as a church strike the balance between recognizing and utiliz-
ing the gifts of our members, yet, at the same time, protect
ourselves from those who, maybe quite sincerely, believe they
are called of God when it soon becomes apparent they aren't?
7
Monday
October 1
TIMES LIKE THESE.
They "pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor,
and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will
go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name" (Amos 2:7).
A
mos lived at a time of relative peace, prosperity, and pleasure-
seeking. Under Jeroboam II, Israel was at the zenith of power.
There was an unprecedented increase in the number of wealthy
people who lived luxuriously and self-indulgently. Their ease and
extravagance contrasted with the suffering and misery of the poor.
Cities were growing rapidly in size at the expense of rural develop-
ment. The judges were dishonest, the government corrupt. Justice
had become a joke. Extortion, crime, and class hatred were visible on
every hand. Women were pampered and wore expensive clothing.
Abuse of alcohol contributed to crime and indecency. Immorality was
rampant, and incest was common. Robbery and murder had become
commonplace. Most people claimed to be religious but lived in a way
that denied a true experience with God. Although a variety of reli-
gious forms attracted people, the major religion was self-worship.
There had been signs of impending military destruction, but the
threats had passed.
In many ways, Amos's time reflects ours (at least in some parts of
the world). Few things really change. If you know someone bur-
dened by any of these same problems, in what ways could you show
this person that Christ can bring healing, freedom, forgiveness, and
hope? Listed below are a few of the issues Amos had to deal with.
Under each one write down how Christ can be the solution.
1.
Prosperity that leads to vice and pleasure-seeking:
2.
Selfishness and self-indulgence:
3.
Injustice:
4.
Crime and immorality:
Sacred history shows that in times of trial and turmoil, both on a
national and personal level, people are more open to the gospel. When
life is going well, when resources are plenty, when times are good
economically, then it becomes harder to reach people.
How do you witness to someone who has "everything"? How
do you show just how transitory and ultimately insufficient all
these things are in and of themselves?
8
Tuesday
October 2
THE POLITICAL SETTING
(1 Kings 12:25-33).
A
mos labored when wicked Jeroboam II ruled in Israel, about
760
B.C.
He began his work just two years before a major
earthquake that must have left a powerful impression (perhaps
something like the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco and the 1999
earthquake in Turkey) because people began dating events as they
related to this disaster.
"Under Jeroboam II, Israel was at the zenith of its power. . . .
Jeroboam had overcome the Syrians and had enlarged the territory of
the northern kingdom to the northern boundary of the original united
kingdom. . . . As for Judah, Uzziah, its king, had subdued the
Edomites and Philistines, put the Ammonites under subjection, en-
couraged agriculture and the domestic arts of peace, and raised a
large, powerful army, fortifying Jerusalem strongly. . . .
"Apparently safe from foreign enemies, and strong internally, Is-
rael was not in the least looking forward to danger or destruction.
True, Assyria was attracting attention by its rising power, but it
seemed improbable that it would attack Israel. The not uncommon
fruits of prosperity—pride, luxury, selfishness, oppression—were rip-
ening plentifully in both kingdoms. However, the situation was worse
in Israel because of the calf worship, which had been instituted by its
first king, Jeroboam I (see 1 Kings 12:25-33). Undoubtedly this calf
worship furnished the reason why both Amos and Hosea were com-
missioned to direct their prophecies especially against the northern
kingdom."—
The SDA Bible Commentary,
vol. 4, pp. 953, 954.
Amos wasn't the only prophet to function under a corrupt
political and religious establishment. List some prophets who
had
to do the same and what sins they had to speak out against.
Sadly, God's church, even from the beginning, has never
been without fault. How do we, as members, relate to the church,
even when we see the faults and problems? How can Christians
who are sighing and crying "for all the abominations" (Ezek.
9:4) done in the land guard against degenerating into becoming
"the accuser of our brethren"? (Rev. 12:10).
9
Wednesday
October 3
THE IMAGERY OF AMOS (Amos 8:1).
A
mos was a shepherd at a time when shepherds were looked
down upon; he was also a "gatherer of sycomore fruit" (Amos
7:14). He lived on the edge of the desert where the inhabitants
didn't have access to the milk and honey of the land just to the north.
The so-called "fig" of the sycamore tree was used by the poorer
people to sustain life. To "dress" it, Amos had to climb a tree, with a
knife in his hand, to slit each "fig" to let a bitter juice run out. It also
is thought that the opening would allow insects to get into the fruit.
There they would place their maggots, which would ferment the fruit,
making it more edible. This rustic man of the desert had no problem
describing the faults of the people in clear but earthly language drawn
from his background.
Look up the following verses and note the imagery used:
Amos 3:12
Amos 4:9
Amos 5:19
Amos 6:12
Why would Amos use this type of imagery? Why would it be
so effective? What other Bible characters used this same imagery
to convey their messages? What's the importance of imagery in
proclaiming the gospel?
Words are powerful tools. We think with words, we communicate
with words, we tend to understand the world around us through
words. According to the Proverbs, there is literally life and death in
our words. There was a reason, too, that John described Jesus as "the
Word" (John 1:1,
14).
Amos, no doubt, knew the importance of the
words that he spoke. If he didn't choose them correctly, souls could
be lost. How important, then, that those of us who have a message to
preach be very careful of the words and images we use.
Today, in most societies, images about lions eating people
aren't going to be effective in witnessing. What does Amos's use
of imagery teach us about tailoring the expression of our mes-
sages to the specific culture in which we are working?
10
Thursday
October 4
THE LORD REVEALS "HIS SECRET."
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his
secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos
3:7).
W
hat a promise exists in this verse! It reads more literally in
the Hebrew, "For the Lord will not do a thing except He
reveal His secret to His servants the prophets." God prom-
ises—especially in the context of judgment (as in the case of Amos)—
not to do "a thing" until He reveals "His secret" to the prophets, who
then are to convey the message to the people.
Though the specific setting and time frame is radically differ-
ent from ours now, what is God telling us with this text?
Christianity is a revealed religion. In other words, the things that
we really need to know, God reveals to us. He doesn't leave it to us to
try and figure it out ourselves. Instead, He tells us what we need to
know, most likely because what He has to say is too important to
leave us theorizing on our own. In the specific context of Amos's
message, the Lord wasn't going to bring these terrible judgments
upon the people without Him first warning them, thus giving them an
opportunity, if not to avert the judgment, at least then to be prepared
for it.
List other examples through history where the Lord has through
a prophet, given specific warnings to people in order to spare
them from or prepare them for, impending judgments. Though at
the time the messages might seem harsh, sharp, even terrible,
what do they reveal about God and His love for sinners? (See also
2 Chron. 20:20.)
In the context of God not doing "a thing" without first reveal-
ing it to His prophets, how does the life and ministry of Ellen
White stand as an example of that promise?
11
Friday
October 5
F
URTHER STUDY: "The iniquity in Israel during the last half
century before the Assyrian captivity was like that of the days
of Noah, and of every other age when men have rejected God
and have given themselves wholly to evil-doing. The exaltation of
nature above the God of nature, the worship of the creature instead of
the Creator, has always resulted in the grossest of evils. Thus when
the people of Israel, in their worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, paid
supreme homage to the forces of nature, they severed their con-
nection with all that is uplifting and ennobling, and fell an easy prey
to temptation. With the defenses of the soul broken down, the
misguided worshipers had no barrier against sin and yielded them-
selves to the evil passions of the human
heart."—Prophets and Kings,
pp. 281, 282.
In what ways do humans continue to worship the creature instead
of the Creator? What are the natural consequences of these deceptive
philosophies?
Read through Amos at one sitting in order to get the overall
picture of this prophet's work and message. Scan through the book of
Hosea to compare similarities and differences in these prophets'
approach to their mission.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Despite the rampant sin and evildoing in the time of Amos,
the Lord worked to save these people. No matter how bad
they were, it still wasn't too late. Jesus Christ, on the cross,
paid the penalty for the sins of those whom Amos warned.
Look at Amos in the context of the Cross. What hope does
that give us who, perhaps, at this very moment, are strug-
gling with the same sins Amos denounced?
2.
Look more at Amos
3:7.
Why do you think the Lord gave us
this promise? Though it certainly doesn't mean that God
will, through His prophets, tell us everything, it suggests
that He will tell us what we need to know. Which of "His
secrets" has God revealed through His servants the proph-
ets that has been especially meaningful to your life person-
ally?
S
UMMARY:
Amos, the "burden-bearer," had a message to
share that many people didn't want to hear. Yet, called by God,
he shared it anyway. Without earthly credentials, without earthly
support, Amos said what needed to be said, no matter how painful
and thankless the job.
12
AIN\
The Challenge, Part 1
J. H. Zachary
Kesuli Zacari was a devoted Muslim living in Niger, West
Africa. Early in his adult life the village recognized his spiritual
leadership and made him their
imam
(Muslim spiritual teacher).
While still in high school he organized other youth into a group to
resist Christianity.
Upon finishing high school he moved to the capital of Niger,
where he hoped to win a scholarship to attend the university. He
discovered that many Christians lived in this city. He organized
other Muslim youth to convert Christians to Islam and stamp out
Christian heresy in his homeland by making Christians see that
Mohammed was the last true prophet. The young people believed
that Allah would reward them for their efforts.
Zacari grew irritated when some Christians told him that one day
he would become a Christian. "That will never happen," he re-
sponded. "If it ever does happen, let it be the last day of my life!"
Zacari waited several years, and still he had not received the
hoped-for scholarship to study. At times he lacked food. One day
a friend told him that he had discovered that Christians are kind
people. Then he told Zacari about a Protestant missionary he had
met. "Let's go talk to her. Maybe she will help us when she knows
we are in need. And we can tell her about the errors of Christianity
while we are there."
But Zacari hesitated. He knew almost nothing about Christian
beliefs. How could he argue against a religion unless he had
studied their beliefs and could point out their errors? But his
friend urged him to go with him to visit the missionary. As they
walked to the missionary's home,
Zacari made a surprising request,
"Please don't tell the woman that I
am a Muslim. Tell her that I want to
become a Christian."
(continued next week)
J. H. Zachary is coordinator of inter-
national evangelism for The Quiet Hour
and a special consultant for the General
Conference Ministerial Association.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School-Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
13
Lesson 2
*October 6-12
Sins of the Neighbors
Sabbath Afternoon
A
MOS WAS A MISSIONARY
who traveled from Judah in
the south to Bethel in the northern kingdom of Israel in order
to relate God's message of condemnation against the Israel-
ites. He delivered strong, plain denunciations against the temple of
Jeroboam, against idolatry, and against the Israelites' superficial
religion. The casual observer probably would have anticipated the
reaction of the priests and rulers: "Go home, Judean! Aren't there
enough problems in your own country for you to deal with? Why do
you come up here to annoy us?"
Although Amos did not hold back in delivering the message God
gave him, he used an interesting and tactful approach. Some com-
mentators suggest that Amos appeared at Bethel during a religious
festival and caught the attention of the crowds by attacking vocifer-
ously the sins of the surrounding nations. One can almost hear shouts
of "You tell them, Amos!" as he listed the sins and the threats of
consequent judgment against those pagan places such as Damascus,
Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and even Judah—in that se-
quence.
The affirmations ceased, however, when he then shifted his attack
against their neighbors and aimed it toward them.
How little changes in the world!
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Why did Amos begin by warning
about the judgments that would fall upon Israel's neighbors?
How were the warnings delivered? Why were some sins denounced
in some lands and not in others? How can heathen nations be
condemned for sin if they don't have the written law? Do differ-
ent nations face different standards of judgment? This week
touches on all these questions—and more.
MEMORY TEXT: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 13.)
14
Sunday
October
7
EXCITEMENT AT BETHEL (Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6).
T
he easiest people to fool are ourselves. While it's not hard to be
open, honest, and candid about others, particularly about their
faults, it's not so simple when we have to deal with our own.
The human capacity for self-deception is amazing. Maybe it's be-
cause we're so close to ourselves that it's so difficult to see ourselves
for what we are. Whatever the reason, facing ourselves, especially
our own sins, is always painful.
Perhaps that's why Amos, in confronting the Israelites, didn't go
after them immediately. Instead, he began by naming the sins of the
nations around Israel and the judgments that would fall upon them.
No doubt the people, even amid their idolatry, listened and appreci-
ated what Amos was saying. They even might have cheered him on in
his warnings against the heathen; yet by so doing, they—in the end—
condemned themselves.
Look at the story of Nathan confronting David with his sin
(2 Samuel 12). What parallel exists between Nathan's ap-
proach and Amos's?
Though we aren't given details, one can imagine how the people's
enthusiasm for Amos ended once he then began attacking their sins.
"'For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the
punishment"' (Amos 2:6). With the vigor and simplicity expected of a
man of his background, Amos clearly indicted Israel for injustice,
cruelty, incest, luxury, and idolatry—even for literally "taking the
shirt off a man's back" and keeping it. What made these sins so bad
was that there were people who, unlike their neighbors around them,
had been given an abundant amount of light and truth.
One of the most stunning and sobering things to read in
Scripture regards the depth of apostasy, sin, and degrada-
tion that God's people fell into—and their utter blindness
in seeing it. It was Thomas Manton who said: "First we
practice sin, then defend it, then boast of it." Notice the
progression of steps. No doubt, Israel didn't fall into such a
terrible state all at once. We rarely do either.
Though Scripture does admonish the church to discipline
members who fall into sin, what can today's lesson teach us
about how we do it? (See also Matt.
7:3).
15
Monday
October 8
THE COVENANT LAWSUIT (Amos 1:3-2:16).
T
he lengthy poem in these verses denouncing the crimes of the
nations bordering Israel, as well as Israel, take the form of
covenant-lawsuit addresses. The pattern of the covenant law-
suit in chapters one and two have the following components:
Introduction of plaintiff and judge
Introduction of defendant
Indictment
Judgment
Read over (in the texts for today) some of these messages that
Amos delivered to the nations and
see
how certain phrases are
repeated that fit these covenant-lawsuit components.
The use of this structure makes it apparent that God had a cov-
enant with other nations as well as with Israel. The Word of the Lord
applies to all people of the world at all times. The Lord had a
covenant with all His creation at the beginning and a re-creation
covenant with Noah that extended to all people. In Moses' time the
Lord made a particular covenant with the Israelites; they, in turn,
were to serve as God's priests and mediators of His covenant to the
nations. Today, Christ serves as Priest and Mediator of the new cov-
enant to all who accept Him as such, regardless of race or nationality.
It is obvious in the first two chapters of Amos that God holds all
nations responsible for doing that which they know is wrong.
This idea that God has a "covenant," even with the pagan
nations, and that they were responsible for their sins, also has a
flip side: If they are to answer for their sins then they also must
have a chance to be saved from those same sins. In other words,
God isn't going to condemn those who also don't have an oppor-
tunity to be spared condemnation. This gets to the heart of the
question that, no doubt, most Christians wrestle with: What
about those who died without ever hearing the gospel? Read
what Paul writes in Romans 1:18-32, especially with the back-
ground of Amos in mind. How do these verses help us, even
today, regarding this difficult issue? Keep in mind this question,
Is God going to condemn anyone whom He hasn't first given, in
one way or another, an opportunity to be saved?
16
Tuesday
October 9
DENUNCIATION OF SURROUNDING NATIONS (Amos 1:3-
15).
T
he first three nations on Amos's list of nations that
were to be punished by God for their sins were Syria, Philistia,
and the Phoenicians (Tyre), nations that existed in the immediate
vicinity of Israel. Notice, however, what it is that these nations had done
that brought the wrath of God upon them. Damascus (vs. 3) apparently
used excessive violence against one of its neighbors, while both Gaza
and Tyre were condemned for some sort of slave trade (vss. 6, 9).
What's fascinating is that, in these texts, there is no condemnation
against them for idolatry, for worshiping false gods, or for not treat-
ing the poor with respect. Instead the condemnation deals exclusively
with their abuse of the most basic human rights.
The Bible teaches that through the law sin is known (Rom.
3:20). How, then, could these nations, which were not given the
Ten Commandments, be held responsible for their sins? Read
what Paul wrote in Romans 2:12-16 for some added insight.
Though only ancient Israel had been given the Ten Command-
ments, there are numerous examples all through the ancient world
that many other nations believed many of the same principles regard-
ing good and evil. Aristotle, for instance (who probably never heard
of the Ten Commandments), wrote a book called
Ethics,
in which
among the things he deemed evil—besides theft, adultery, and mur-
der—were
envy, malice,
and
shamelessness
(sounds like the Sermon
on the Mount). The Bible itself gives examples of pagans who, to
some degree, understood the basic principles of morality (for ex-
ample, Gen. 12:10-20). Also, how could God have justly punished
Sodom and Gomorrah if the inhabitants hadn't had some knowledge
of right and wrong?
Obviously, different nations are going to be judged differ-
ently, depending upon their circumstances and the light they
had, in one way or another, received. In the end, though, everyone's
situation is the same: Each is a sinner who has violated the law
of God (whether he or she knows the law or not). Thus, all need
Jesus as their Savior. What, ultimately, did Christ accomplish so
that all people, no matter where they live or at what time they
lived there, have the opportunity to be saved? What happened at
the Cross that will ultimately bring many of these people into
God's final kingdom?
17
Wednesday
October 10
DENUNCIATION OF ISRAEL'S RELATIVES.
"Because he pursued his brother with
the sword and cast off
all
pity" (Amos 1:11, NRSV).
B
esides Syria, Gaza, and Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, and
Judah also came into condemnation, the difference being that
these nations were all related to Israel. The Edomites were the
descendants of Esau; Ammon and Moab were descendants of Lot
from the incestuous plot of his two daughters; and Judah, of course,
had once been united to Israel in one nation.
Notice, again, the reasons for their condemnations. Edom "pur-
sued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity" (vs. 11). Ammon
"ripped open the women with child in Gilead" (vs. 13, NKJV). Moab
committed some kind of desecration against the king of Edom (2:1).
In contrast to these, read Amos 2:4, 5. List the specific sins for
which Judah has been condemned:
1.
2.
3.
While their neighbors are threatened with punishment because
they were ripping open the bellies of pregnant women, selling people
into slavery, and threshing people to death with metal instruments,
Judah is going to be punished because she despised God's law,
disobeyed the commandments, and followed lies?
What is going on here? What principle is at work? Why are
Judah's sins so "different" from those of her neighbors? Could it have
something to do with these words of Jesus, "For unto whomsoever
much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have
committed much, of him they will ask the more"? (Luke 12:48). See
also John 19:11.
It's
so easy
for us to look back upon ancient Israel and judge
them for their sins. Yet, in many ways, as Seventh-day Adventists—
considering the great light that we have been given—can we be
just as guilty, if not more so? Israel, like the church, is only as
faithful as its individual members. Thus, we need to ask our-
selves, Are we taking advantage, personally, of the great privi-
leges we have been given?
18
Thursday
October 11
APPEAL TO ISRAEL (Amos 2:6-16).
"Because they sell the righteous for silver" (Amos 2:6, NKJV).
mos moved in a progression, starting first with the sins of
neighbors, then distant relatives, then closer relatives, and
finally honing in on Israel itself.
List, in your own words, the sins of Israel outlined in
Amos 2:6-8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Besides perversion of justice (see vs. 6), involving money (as is
usually the case), there was oppression of the poor, sexual perversity,
and some sort of religious defilement (see, if possible, a Bible com-
mentary on the meaning of vs. 8).
Read again verse 7; notice how it ends. How was the Lord's
holy name defiled by their actions? What principle is involved
here?
How could Israel, a nation with so much light, have fallen so
deeply? The answer isn't that hard to find. They had severed them-
selves from a daily, growing walk with their Creator; thus they began
to worship the creature instead of the Creator (Rom. 1:25). Their
morals started to decay, because people will rise no higher than the
god(s) they serve, and so those worshiping a calf aren't going to
ascend to the heights of moral glory.
Even today the same principle works. People who sever them-
selves from God end up worshiping some other "creature,"
usually themselves. In what ways do we see the fruits of this
false worship in society? What can we do to protect ourselves
from doing the same thing?
19
Friday
October 12
F
URTHER STUDY:
"From generation to generation the Lord
had borne with His wayward children, and even now, in the
face of defiant rebellion, He still longed to reveal Himself to
them as willing to save. . . .
"The evils that had overspread the land had become incurable; and
upon Israel was pronounced the dread sentence: 'Ephraim is joined to
idols: let him alone.' Hosea 4:17. . . .
"The ten tribes of Israel were now to reap the fruitage of the
apostasy that had taken form with the setting up of the strange altars
at Bethel and at
Dan."—Prophets and Kings,
p. 285.
Compare this section of Amos with Hosea chapters 4 through 8.
What similarities do you find and what differences?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
How are God's
mercy and justice combined in the messages
of Hosea and Amos?
2.
Though the Bible clearly teaches that God brings judgment
upon nations for their sins, what inherent dangers exist in
attributing every national disaster to God's wrath?
3.
Discuss the great privileges and gifts that we as Adventists
have been given. What are they? Why do they contain so
many blessings? At the same time, what responsibilities
come with them?
4.
Both the Old and New Testament utter strong denuncia-
tions against the rich who oppress the poor
(see for
ex-
ample, Exod.
23:6; Prov. 22:7; Zech. 7:10; James 5:1-7).
Why is the theme of economic oppression found in the
Bible? How does that relate to us as individuals?
5.
Discuss further the idea of how doctrinal and spiritual
apostasy lead to moral apostasy. Why is the spiritual and
religious so connected with the moral? Can they ever be
separated?
S
UMMARY:
Amos had a stern message to give, but he gave it in
a tactful way. By concentrating first on the sins of Israel's neigh-
bors, he opened the door to warning Israel as well. What Amos
implies is that, though all nations shall be judged, they shall be judged
differently, depending upon the light they have been given. With privi-
lege comes responsibility—a lesson that we, as Adventists, should
never forget.
20
The Challenge, Part 2
J. H. Zachary
Kesuli Zacari, a Muslim leader in Niger, was determined to convert
Christians to Islam. To do so he needed to understand what Christians
believe.
A Christian missionary gave Zacari a Gospel of John, but on the
way home he tossed the book into the bushes. A few days later,
however, he changed his mind. He borrowed another copy from a
Christian. As he read it he was impressed by the life of Jesus and how
He helped people.
Zacari visited the missionary and asked her many questions about
Jesus. He asked her for a New Testament, but the missionary did not
give him one. When she was not looking, he stole a copy.
Later his friends saw him reading the New Testament and warned
him, "Watch out, or you will become a Christian."
"I am learning what Christians believe so I can convert them to
Islam," he told them.
The stories of Jesus touched his heart. He lost interest in his
Muslim prayers and stopped going to the mosque. His mind was filled
with the scenes of Jesus. Zacari began to understand why Christians
are so kind. It is the influence of Christ.
But his mind was in a turmoil. Everything he had learned cried out
in favor of Islam, but Christ's love drew him to Christianity. Zacari
decided to study Christianity for one month and then decide which
religion to follow. He visited the missionary again and plied her with
questions. Finally he asked, "How can I become a Christian?"
The woman gave him a Bible. Zacari spent hours pouring over the
Bible. The month passed. A year passed. Still he continued searching.
He discovered Adventist World Radio and wrote to the studio request-
ing literature. He met the ADRA staff working in Niger. Their influ-
ence helped Zacari make his decision. He gave up Islam and became
an Adventist Christian.
Zacari says. His parents refused to have anything to do
"God has called me to introduce my Muslim friends and family to
I
Jesus Christ,"
with him when he became a Christian, but now they are showing an
interest in Christianity. Pray for them and for the millions living in
Niger who need to know the Savior.
J. H. Zachary is coordinator of international evangelism for The
Quiet Hour and a special consultant for the General Conference
Ministerial Association.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
21
Lesson 3
*October 13-19
"Hear This Word"
Sabbath
A
MOS SPEAKS WITH FIRE
and clarity about the sins of
Israel and the punishments that those sins will bring. Yet he's
speaking for the Lord, who in His love and compassion for
people wants to save them from the natural consequences of sin as
well as the ultimate punishment that a just and holy God must
execute against sin. Indeed, behind the fearful denunciations and
warnings, the real message to Israel is this: "Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live" (Amos 5:14, RSV).
Indeed, God is seeking to turn His people to a saving relationship
with Him because, in the end—what else matters? The only thing
saved out of this world will be souls bought with the blood of Christ;
everything else will be gone, forever. Not even the ashes will remain.
No wonder, then, that He bids us to "Hear this Word," and that Word
is the Word of Life, the life found in Christ and the blood He shed for
the sins of the world.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What event in Israel's history did the
Lord point them back to, and why? Why does God want us not to
forget our past? How does sin weaken and damage our ability to
know right and wrong? Why did Israel violate the covenant that
God had established with them? What ultimately did their actions
lead to? Though all these things happened many years ago, the
lessons taught in them and the principles involved have a bearing on
our lives and our church today.
MEMORY TEXT: "Can two walk together, except they be
agreed?"
(Amos 3:3).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 20.)
22
Sunday
October 14
"LEST THEY DEPART FROM THY HEART."
"Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, 0
children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up
from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the
families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your
iniquities" (Amos 3:1, 2).
/
n these verses, the Lord pointed Israel back to the Exodus. All
through the Hebrew Bible, in fact, the Lord does the same thing.
"For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt,
to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Lev.
11:45). "And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God
of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of
them that oppressed you" (1 Sam. 10:18).
Why did the Lord constantly remind the Hebrews of the Exo-
dus? (Hint: Read carefully Deuteronomy 4:9.)
One
of the greatest dangers facing Christians is that they forget
what Christ has done for them, both individually and as a corporate
body. That's why the Lord told the children of Israel not to forget the
things that happened to them at the Exodus, not to let them "depart
from thy heart" (Deut. 4:9) all the days of their lives. Instead, they
were to teach them to their children, so not only would their children
know about the great things God had done for them, but that in the
telling they themselves would not forget.
The history of ancient Israel shows, however, just how quickly
people forget. What a lesson for us as a church! As each new genera-
tion comes, we get further and further from our roots, further and
further from the experiences of our founding fathers. How important
that we don't let the knowledge of these experiences depart from our
hearts, as well.
Leslie joined the Adventist Church many years ago, after a
dramatic conversion. As the years went by, however, she started
to grow cold. She still believed everything as before but just
didn't manifest the fire of those early years. Then a crisis
struck, and she found herself ready to give up her faith entirely.
As she prayed the Holy Spirit brought her mind back to her
conversion. Day by day she recounted the events that led her to
Christ and that brought her to the Church. Soon her faith was
strengthened. Though we shouldn't dwell heavily on the mis-
takes of the past, how can recounting the
ways
the Lord has led
us in the past help us
even
now?
23
Monday
October 15
'FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW TO DO RIGHT' (Amos 3:10,
NKJV).
T
his part of verse ten is incredible. If it would have said "For
they refuse to do right" or "For they can't do right"—that
would have been bad enough.
But it says that they do "not
know" to do right.
How could that be? How could those whom the
Lord knew "above all the families of the earth" (Amos 3:2, NKJV), a
people who had been given so much truth—not know to do right?
Look also at Hosea 4:6: "My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject
thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the
law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
The answer is found here: They have rejected knowledge, and the
rejection of knowledge must inevitably lead to the lack of knowledge.
The point is, no matter how much light is given, if it's not appreci-
ated, followed, studied, and loved, then sooner or later—it's lost.
And when it's lost, people will eventually "not know to do right"
(NKJV).
This, sadly, is what happened to Israel.
"Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those
who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil" (Heb. 5:14). Study this text in the background of
today's lesson. What principle is taught here?
Lepers who lose fingers or toes don't lose them directly from the
disease; rather, because their nerves have been damaged by the
disease they can't feel pain; and thus they don't quickly move away
from objects that can damage their flesh. Sin does the same thing: it
damages our sensibilities toward it, so that before long it doesn't seem
sinful or wrong anymore, even to the point where people can "call evil
good, and good evil" (Isa. 5:20).
"Every sinful gratification," wrote Ellen White, "tends to benumb
the faculties and deaden the mental and spiritual perceptions, and the
word or the Spirit of God can make but a feeble impression upon the
heart."—The
Great Controversy,
p.
474.
None of us is immune to the problems that Israel faced in
Amos's time. Every generation of believers faces the same chal-
lenge. This is why the battle against sin, against self, is so cru-
cial. What then can we do as individuals to protect ourselves
from falling into the snare of being so hardened in sin that we
reach the point that we "do not know to do right"?
24
Tuesday
October 16
A BROKEN COVENANT.
"How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee,
Israel?" (Hos. 11:8).
T
he plan of salvation, at its core, remains simple: Humanity,
through sin, estranged itself from God; God, through Christ,
has healed that estrangement. "God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:19).
Sacred history, beginning in Eden, replays the theme, in one mani-
festation or another, over and over again. Humanity, through their sins
and disobedience, severs itself from God; God, ever seeking, tries to
bring humankind back under the shadow of His wings (Ps. 17:8).
It's no different here in Amos; Israel has broken the covenant
relationship with God. God has been faithful to His side of the
bargain; the people are the ones who haven't kept up their end of the
deal. (See Hos. 6:7; 8:1; Jer. 34:18.)
When Jesus was on the earth, His life and death best exempli-
fied this sad reality. Go through specific aspects of His life, in
which Jesus did everything possible to reach those who, despite
His overtures, rejected Him. In what ways do we, even today, do
the same thing? Examine your own life and
see
if, in principle,
you're just as guilty.
In the context of today's lesson, read this quote by German
theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "The cross is laid on every
Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must
experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this
world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of
his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship
we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—
we give over our lives to death. . . . When Christ calls a man,
he bids him come and die."—The
Cost of Discipleship,
(New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., 1975), p. 99.
Perhaps the reason why people have been so unfaithful to God
and His covenant is that they are afraid to count the cost of
following Christ. That's what happened in Amos's time; it's also
happening in ours. In your own mind, count the cost of following
Christ; then, when done, count the cost of
not
following Him.
25
Wednesday
October 17
THE
AHARIT
OF ISRAEL (Amos 3:1-8).
A
mos 3 begins with God addressing the sins of Israel. Read the
first eight verses, which need careful analysis. The casual
reader may find it difficult to grasp the significance of this
passage. It might be summarized as follows:
O
You're my family; you've been given special advantages;
therefore it is appropriate that I punish you (Amos 3:1, 2).
O
When a lion roars in the forest, it is evident it has found its
prey (vs.
4).
8
The bird caught in a snare illustrates that Israel set a trap for
herself by her sins (vs. 5).
O
When a warning sounds, people are afraid (vs. 6).
O
God does not send the evil unless He has first revealed His intent
through a prophet (vs. 7).
O
When God speaks, a prophet has to prophesy (vs. 8).
Although these statements may seem unrelated, they have something
in common. They discuss inevitable consequences—natural results.
How does Paul illustrate this law of life in Galatians 6:7?
There's a word in Hebrew called
aharit.
Though related to the
Hebrew word for "back" (as in a person's back), it means, literally,
"that which comes after; final consequences; ends." Proverbs 19:20
(NKJV) reads: "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you
may be wise in your latter days," or in "your
aharit"
or "your final
end."
The point is simple: Our actions have consequences. Sooner or
later, we all come to our
aharit,
and what that will be depends so
much upon our actions now. In Amos, Israel is simply reaping the
fruits of its actions. It has come to its
aharit.
And if there's any action
that has undeniable and inescapable consequences, it's sin. The
problem, however, is that Satan never wants us to see the
aharit.
His
message, instead, is to focus on the pleasures now. By the time the
aharit
comes, it might already be too late.
Though Scripture is clear that we reap what we sow, what
example does the Bible give that seems to suggest there are
times when not everyone, at least in this life, suffers as a direct
result of his or her own sins? Everyone knows people who suffer
terribly through no fault of his or her own. What answers, if
any, can you give to those in these situations?
26
Thursday
October 18
JUDGMENT (Amos 3:11-15).
T
he last phase of God's covenant lawsuit against Israel is the
pronouncement of judgment on those who have forsaken the
terms of the covenant. Verse 11 describes the "adversary" who
will be used by God to destroy Samaria. Undoubtedly it refers to the
Assyrians, who later took the Israelites into captivity.
The Shepherd Illustration.
To the pastoral people of Israel, an
illustration involving sheep would be understood immediately. The
shepherd Amos refers to a lion catching a sheep.
How much was left of the sheep when the shepherd finally
rescued it from the mouth of the lion? What does this tell us about
the number of Israelites who would be rescued eventually from
the Assyrian captivity and about their dispersal? Amos 3:12.
It's quite hard from our perspective to understand why there should
be such a violent punishment for Israel's transgressions. After all, we're
not talking about something like "church discipline" here. The Assyrians
could be terribly brutal against those whom they conquered.
Of course, this situation isn't the only time the Lord used outside
powers to punish His people (see Isaiah 13). As always, this punish-
ment involved pillaging, rape, death, slavery, and a host of other
terrible ills. No doubt, these accounts in the Bible have led many to
skepticism about the character of God.
Why did the Lord punish His people in such a manner for their
sins? When we remember that Jesus is the Lord (Mic. 5:2; John
1:1-3; Col. 1:16, 17) and when we see in the Gospels just how
kind, loving, and forgiving Christ is, how do we reconcile the
Christ of the Old Testament with the Christ of the New?
Perhaps the answer can be understood best only in the context of the
terrible nature of sin. The great controversy involves the entire uni-
verse; the issues are of paramount importance. From our human per-
spective, many things are hard to understand; we see, as Paul said,
"through a glass, darkly" (1 Cor. 13:12). However difficult this question
is, one thing it should teach us is just how serious, and deadly, sin is.
How does an understanding that God Himself hung on the
cross, punished for the sins of the world, help us better grasp
the seriousness of sin and the terrible consequences it brings?
27
Friday
October 19
F
URTHER STUDY:
"The transgressors were given many op-
portunities to repent. In their hour of deepest apostasy and
greatest need, God's message to them was one of forgiveness
and hope. '0 Israel,' He declared, 'thou hast destroyed thyself; but in
Me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save
thee?' Hosea 13:9, 10.
"'Come, and let us return unto the Lord,' the prophet entreated;
`for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will
bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will
raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we
follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morn-
ing; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain
unto the earth."' Hosea 6:1-3.
"To those who had lost sight of the plan of the ages for the
deliverance of sinners ensnared by the power of Satan, the Lord
offered restoration and peace. 'I will heal their backsliding, I will
love them freely,' He declared: 'for Mine anger is turned away from
him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and
cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his
beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that
dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn,
and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of
Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have Ito do any more with idols?
I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From
Me is thy fruit
found.'"—Prophets and Kings,
pp. 283, 284.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
In
The Desire of Ages
(p. 756), Ellen White makes a fasci-
nating statement. In the context of Christ dying on the
cross, she talks about how in the awful darkness of feeling
the separation from God that sin causes, Jesus "had relied
upon the evidence of His Father's acceptance heretofore
given Him.... By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever
been His joy to obey." In other words, amid the terrible
conflict of the moment, Jesus looked back upon the previ-
ous experiences with God that showed Him the love, accep-
tance, and mercy of God. If Jesus had to do that, what
about us? Thus, how important not to forget the ways in
which God has worked in our lives. No doubt, sooner or
later, that knowledge will be useful. Discuss.
S
UMMARIZE:
Israel forgot about what God had done for them;
thus they lost knowledge of His ways. Eventually they broke the
covenant relationship with Him, and they reaped the conse-
quences of their actions.
28
Auk
A Simple Prayer of Faith
Selpha Velasco
"If you ask anything according to His will, He will hear you" (1 John
5:14), the children of the mission school in the mountains of Mindanao,
southern Philippines, repeated in unison.
During morning and evening worships, the student missionaries
emphasized that God's promises are true. If we trust Him, He will
surely answer our prayers.
My term as a student missionary from Mountain View College was
ending, and I visited every house in the village to say goodbye to my
friends.
The next day 9-year-old Cecile walked with me to Sabangaan, a
three-hour hike from our village, and the nearest point where we can get
a ride to Mountain View College. The midday sun punished us as we
climbed a steep mountain toward the town. We had to rest often in the
shade. During one of these rest stops Cecile said, "Teacher, it is hot. Let
us pray that the clouds will cover the sun."
I was touched by the girl's simple request. Our lessons had taken
root in her heart. Then without hesitating she bowed her head and
prayed, "Lord, please send the clouds to cover the sun, so that my
teacher and I can walk in comfort. Thank You for answering my prayer
in Jesus' name. Amen."
Silently I prayed,
God, please answer Cecile's prayer and strengthen
her faith.
The sun shown as hot as ever as we resumed our walk. "Teacher,"
Cecile asked, "Why did God not answer my prayer?"
I was a bit sad. "Lord," I whispered, "please answer the little girl's
prayer so that she will trust in You." Then I asked her, "Do you really
believe that your teacher's God is a true and powerful God—more
powerful than any of the gods your parents worship?"
"Yes, Teacher. I believe that God is able to answer prayers." A cool
breeze blew from the stream below. It felt so refreshing!
"Look at the clouds, Teacher!" Cecile shouted. "They are covering
the sun!"
Thank You, Lord, for hearing Cecile 's prayer,
I breathed.
The clouds continued to shade us until we reached our destination.
They strengthened a child's faith that day. They strengthened her
teacher's faith too.
Selpha Velasco served for two years as a student missionary at Victory
Mission School in the mountains of southern Philippines. She has returned
to Mountain View College to complete her studies.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
29
Lesson 4
*October 20-26
Prepare to Meet Thy God
Sabbath Afternoon
T
HIS WEEK, AMOS ISN'T GOING TO WIN
any reward
for tact, for subtlety, or courtesy. He starts by scolding the
women of Israel—calling them "cows," the "kine" of Bashan,
because they pushed their husbands to oppress others for their own
benefit. Bashan was a pastureland east of the Jordan that symbolized
the oppressors' wives grazing on the luxuries they had come to
expect. These lovers of material goods would be among the first to be
torn away from their luxuries and led captive. (See Amos 4:1-3.)
Five punishments are then outlined as God's attempt to lead Israel
to repentance. But these warnings fail to persuade the people, who
refuse to heed the words of the prophet. Because they would not
repent, they would have to meet their God and His judgment. Yet it's
not only the unrepentant Israelites who faced and will face that
judgment; one day an unrepentant world will, as well.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What sins were specifically men-
tioned as bringing judgment upon Israel? What is it about God
that makes Him unable to tolerate or accept sin? What is repent-
ance, and how did it fit into Israel's situation? These, and other
questions, are looked at this week. As you study, apply the prin-
ciples and issues to our world today, to our Church, and, most
importantly, to ourselves.
MEMORY TEXT:
"Therefore
thus will I do unto thee, 0
Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy
God, 0 Israel" (Amos 4:12).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 27).
30
Sunday
October 21
THE COWS OF BASHAN (Amos 4:1-3).
"Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of
Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which
say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink" (Amos 4:1).
N
otice the sin that the Lord points out as particularly offensive.
These women, unflatteringly referred to as "cows," have been
oppressing the poor. Here, again, as seen throughout Scrip-
ture, the Lord speaks explicitly against economic oppression. Exactly
what they were doing, the text doesn't say, though "this may allude to
the violence and fraud these extravagant women forced, so to speak,
upon their husbands in order to secure means for luxury and debauch-
ery."—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol.
4,
p. 966. Whatever the
details, the point is the same: These women have been involved in
taking advantage of the poor; more than likely, too, these women did
it for their own personal gain. And it's clear that, unless they seek the
Lord, they will face a dire punishment for this sin.
Why are those who oppress the poor singled out for condemna-
tion in the Bible? Why is this sin deemed so bad? (See also Matt.
25:35-40.)
Linked with this idea of oppression is greed and love of money
(1 Tim. 6:10). Often, those with a lot of means will use those means to
acquire more, even at the expense of those who have little or nothing.
This seems to be the case in the book of Amos with these women, who
are encouraging their husbands to increase their wealth and luxurious
living. Though the Bible certainly isn't against those who have money,
it clearly warns against those who oppress and cheat, especially the
poor, in order to get it.
The desire for money or wealth or luxury isn't just a problem with
the rich. Even the poor can make money an idol, something they
worship more than God. Whoever we are, whatever our station in this
life, if we are Christians, our real treasure should be in heaven. Read
Matthew 19:21. What is Jesus talking about here? How could it apply
to this particular situation in Amos?
In Mark 4:19, Jesus, in the parable of the sower, used an
interesting phrase, "the deceitfulness of riches." How can riches
be deceitful? What was Jesus talking about? Notice the context in
which He used it. Though we might not be like the "cows of
Bashan," all of us need to look at our lives and ask ourselves, Just
what is our relationship to wealth, or even the desire for wealth?
Is it something that we have under control, or is it controlling us?
31
Monday
October 22
GOD'S HOLINESS.
"The Lord God has sworn by His holiness" (Amos 4:2, NKJV).
What does it mean that God has "sworn by His holiness" to
punish these people? What is it about God's holiness that would
bring punishment? Or is there something about His holiness itself
that demands punishment?
0
bviously, God refuses to accept sin, in any manner. Some
have even speculated that He can't (as opposed to won't)
accept sin, that His perfectly holy nature couldn't allow it.
Others have said that God's holiness makes the punishment of sin
inevitable. Whatever that phrase ultimately means, it's clear that God
intends to punish those who have committed these terrible sins and
who refuse to repent.
What do the following texts tell us about the nature of God?
"Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose
name is Holy" (Isa. 57:15). "God is light, and in him is no darkness at
all" (1 John 1:5). "I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify
yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy" (Lev. 11:44). "And one
cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the
whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3). "Exalt the Lord our God, and
worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy" (Ps. 99:9). "Ye
cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God" (Josh. 24:19). "Whom
hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou
exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the
Holy One of Israel" (2 Kings 19:22). "I will also praise thee with the
psaltery, even thy truth, 0 my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp,
O thou Holy One of Israel" (Ps. 71:22). "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God
Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8).
God has "sworn by His Holiness" (NKJV) that He would pun-
ish Israel for its sins. What does Amos 4:2
say,
considering the
fearful iniquity that exists in the world today, about impending
judgment? Because none of us is innocent, because none of us
ourselves has the holiness needed to satisfy a perfectly holy God,
the Cross must become the focal point of our lives. In this context,
that of a holy God refusing to accept unholiness, explain why the
Cross and the Cross alone offers us the only hope to being able to
stand before this holy God in judgment.
32
Tuesday
October 23
GOD'S IRONIC CALL (Amos 4:4, 5).
G
od, through Amos, is using every device possible to catch the
Israelites' attention in order to make sure they understand His
warnings. In verses 4 and 5 He resorts to irony, calling upon
the people to come to Bethel and Gilgal, headquarters for idolatry, in
order to show their zeal for their false worship.
What would be the inevitable results of their apostasy? Hos. 9:17.
The prophet Hosea often referred to Ephraim, a leader in apostasy
among the tribes of Israel, as a symbol of the apostate nation. Israel is
unable to discern the disastrous outcome of its evil course; the ten
tribes were soon to be "wanderers among the nations."
"Through the man of God that had appeared before the
altar at Bethel, through Elijah and Elisha, through Amos
and Hosea, the Lord had repeatedly set before the ten tribes
the evils of disobedience. But notwithstanding reproof and
entreaty, Israel had sunk lower and still lower in apostasy.
`Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer,' the Lord de-
clared; 'My people are bent to backsliding from Me.' Hosea
4:16; 11:7.
"There were times when the judgments of Heaven fell very
heavily on the rebellious people. 'I hewed them by the prophets,'
God declared; 'I have slain them by the words of My mouth: and
thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired
mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than
burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant:
there have they dealt treacherously against Me.' Hosea 6:5-7."
—Prophets and Kings,
p. 281.
Focus on that statement made at the end of this Ellen White
quote, where the Lord through Hosea says, "I desired mercy,
and not sacrifice." What does that mean? What does it say about
the real problem with Israel? Was it just that their worship was
false, or was it how they treated others? In fact, could one argue
that the false worship had a lot to do with how they treated
others? At the same time, we should ask ourselves, Can we have
correct worship and
yet
not show mercy?
33
Wednesday
October 24
"YET HAVE YE NOT RETURNED UNTO ME" (Amos 4:6-11).
"Yet have ye not returned unto me" (Amos 4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11).
List below the five punishments God warns about in verses 6-11:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
T
he saddest thing about these verses is not so much the terrible
punishments that fall upon Israel but her constant refusal to
learn from them. The key phrase appears each time: "Yet have
ye not returned unto me." Thus, what this statement says is that these
punishments all had the same purpose, and that was to get Israel to
turn away from sin and come back to the Lord.
The word used in all these verses for "return" comes from a
common Hebrew word that also means "repentance." The root
shuv
is
the basis for the word
Teshuvah
(literally "return"), commonly under-
stood as "repentance." In Jewish thinking,
teshuvah is
so fundamental
to human life that it was considered one of the seven things that God
created even before God created the world. And though Christians
don't take it that far, repentance is a key in the Christian life. In each
of these places in Amos where the Lord said, "Yet have ye not
returned unto me," if one replaces the last few words with
teshuvah,
the verses would read, "Yet have ye not repented."
Look up these verses in the New Testament that talk about repen-
tance: Mark 2:17; Luke 15:7; Acts 20:1, 21; Romans 2:4; Hebrews
6:1; Revelation 3:19; 2:21. In each case, see how the idea of a return
to God makes sense in the immediate context. How does this concept
of return help us understand repentance?
If the idea of repentance includes the notion of a return to
God, how does Christ fit into the equation? In other words, we
are sinners, separated from a holy God because of our sin. What
was it about Jesus, about His life and death, that paved the way
so that we can indeed return to God?
34
Thursday
October 25
"PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD."
"I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burn-
ing: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Therefore
thus will I do unto thee, 0 Israel: and because I will do this unto
thee, prepare to meet thy God, 0 Israel" (Amos 4:11, 12).
I
f Scripture is clear on any teaching, it's clear on this: There will
be a judgment. It's hard to imagine how a God who, time and
again refers to Himself as just (Deut. 32:4; Isa. 45:21; Jer. 23:5),
will not execute judgment at the end of the age. Too much sin, too
much iniquity, too much evil has been wrought upon the earth for a
God of justice not to, at some point and in some manner, manifest
that justice. Indeed, how could a just God be God and not execute His
justice?
Israel was told to "prepare to meet" her God (Amos 4:12).
Looking at the immediate context of that verse, what was the
Lord saying to the nation? Did those words express hope, or was
He basically telling them "It's too late, you will reap what you
have sown"? If the latter, what does it say about there being a
point where God Himself
says,
"Enough is enough"?
(See
also
Dan. 12:1; Rev. 22:11.)
However much God, through Christ, has revealed His saving love
to us; however much Heaven has expended to bring salvation to
humanity—God never forces the will. People are given free choice
regarding the most crucial decision of their lives: Will they or will
they not serve God with faithfulness, repentance, and obedience? All
other choices fade into insignificance in contrast to this one. And
sooner or later our choices are sealed forever. This is what's known
in Adventist vernacular as "the close of probation."
One of the greatest mysteries in Scripture deals with the
mercy and justice of a merciful and just God. Though we
don't know the details, we do know that God will, with mercy
and justice, execute judgment at the end of the age. This is
both an assurance to us and also a warning. How can God be
both just and merciful at the same time? What can we learn,
today, thousands of years removed from these events in Amos,
that can help us not make the same mistakes as Israel?
35
Friday
October 26
F
URTHER STUDY:
Read the following, noting how Israel's
close of probation is related to the final close of probation: "The
closing years of the ill-fated kingdom of Israel were marked
with violence and bloodshed such as had never been witnessed
even in the worst periods of strife and unrest under the house of Ahab.
For two centuries and more the rulers of the ten tribes had been
sowing the wind; now they were reaping the whirlwind. King after
king was assassinated to make way for others ambitious to rule. . . .
Every principle of justice was set aside; those who should have stood
before the nations of earth as the depositaries of divine grace, 'dealt
treacherously against the Lord' and with one
another."—Prophets and
Kings,
p. 279.
Only Two Classes.
"The scene transacted in Jerusalem at the
betrayal and rejection of Christ represents the scene which will take
place in the future history of the world, when Christ is finally
rejected. The religious world will take sides with the first great rebel,
and will reject the message of mercy in regard to the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus. . . ."—Ellen G. White Comments,
The
SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5,
p. 93 (22, 23 . . . A Representative
Scene). "God has a controversy with the world and with the professed
Christians who accept the fallacies of the great apostate, who are
prepared to suit every class in the Christian world, and who discard
the law of
God."—Manuscript 40,
1897.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Why does Scripture talk about the love of money as the root
of all evil? What is it about money that makes it such a
potential danger? How can tithing help with that problem?
Or even Sabbath keeping?
2.
Discuss further this idea of God's holiness. What exactly
does it mean to say that God is holy; what does it mean to
say that people are holy or that a day is holy? In what
way
is God's holiness different from a human being's, or a
human being's holiness from a day's holiness? How are
they similar?
3.
What is true repentance? How do we acquire it? What does
2 Corinthians 7:10 mean? Look at Judas's "repentance"
(Matt. 27:3-8). Why wasn't it accepted?
S
UMMARY:
Through the prophets, Israel had been amply warned
to "return to God." She refused. Judgment came. It's that
simple.
36
---awaivipatarity
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kietamdcitmk
'Ima.alimivnedw-mss
The Accident
Charlotte Ishkanian
Johannes Boethe relaxed as he drove toward his home in South
Africa. He had a good job, a nice home, everything he wanted. His
future looked glorious.
Suddenly a minibus turned into his lane and hit his car, sending it
careening off the road. The minibus hit another vehicle before rolling
into a ditch. Johannes was found unconscious but alive. Some people
in the minibus were not so lucky. The bus driver had fled.
Johannes awoke in the hospital with extensive injuries to his neck
and back, a broken leg, and several broken ribs. Marius, the man from
the other car the bus had hit, visited Johannes in the hospital, but he
was in too much pain to talk.
Johannes remained hospitalized for two months. The police blamed
him for the accident. He lost his job; he had to sell his house and move
into a small apartment. Johannes spent much of the next year in the
hospital. His family struggled to survive on his meager disability
pension. Life looked grim.
Johannes had a lot of time to think while he lay in bed. One day he
found a Bible and began reading it. He saw how far he had wandered
from God and began searching for the way back.
A friend invited the couple to some religious seminars. Johannes
went, and before the meetings ended, he gave his life to Christ and
decided to become an Adventist. But his wife was not so sure.
One evening a man walked up to Johannes and introduced himself
as Marius, the man who had been involved in the minibus accident.
Marius assured Johannes that he could prove that the minibus driver
had caused the accident, and for the first time in three years Johannes
felt a flicker of hope.
Meanwhile, Johannes's wife saw the changes in her husband's life.
He had stopped drinking and smoking and no longer seemed de-
pressed. She began to attend
church with him and has since
been baptized.
"You could say that Marius
and I met by accident," Johannes
says. "But God brought us to-
gether as friends and brothers."
Marius (left) and Johannes.
Charlotte Ishkanian is editor of
Mission.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
7
1
Lesson 5
*October 27—November 2
"Seek the Lord"
Sabbath A
ft
ernoon
A
LL MEN BY NATURE," WROTE ARISTOTLE, "DE-
SIRE TO KNOW."
The crucial question is, "Know what?"
There's a lot of information in the world today, even a lot of
knowledge.
But do we know the things that really matter? Do we have knowledge
of what's lasting and eternal; or is our knowledge only of the temporal,
the transient, that which, in the span of things, lasts not much longer
than the shape of a cloud winging overhead on a windy day?
This week's lesson deals with, at least in part, God's call to us to
seek and learn, not of the temporal and the fleeting but of the eternal,
that which not only lasts forever but has the power to make us last
forever, as well (John 17:3).
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Israel is called to seek the Lord
and live. Why is there life only in God? What does His role as
Creator have to do with the call to live in Him? How does Israel
respond to His pleas? What were some of the sins that God
addressed? Why were they deemed so bad? What promises ex-
isted here that judgment would be done? How was it that even
amid their rebellion the Israelites still thought they were in spe-
cial favor with God? What did Amos mean when he told them to
"hate the evil, and love the good"?
MEMORY TEXT: "Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live:
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have
spoken" (Amos 5:14).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 3.)
38
Sunday
October 28
SEEK ME AND LIVE (Amos 5:1-4).
"Seek .. . me, and ... live" (Amos 5:4).
I
n many ways, these few words capture the essence of God's
message to the world. Seek Him and live; for there is, ultimately,
no life in anything or anyone else.
What do all these verses have in
common?
1.
John 14:6
2.
Col. 3:4
3.
2 Tim. 1:1
4.1 John 5:11,12
"In Jesus is our life derived. In Him is life, that is original,
unborrowed, underived life. In us there is a streamlet from
the fountain of life. In Him is the fountain of life. Our life is
something that we receive, something that the Giver takes
back again to Himself
"—Medical Ministry,
p.
7.
In the end, we are offered only two choices: life or death. The
fate of all humanity can be divided into two classes: those who will
live forever and those who will be forever dead. There is no middle
ground here, no chance of compromise, no balance of opposites.
Everyone, no matter who they are, where they have lived, what the
circumstances of their existence were, will come to one of these two
conclusions.
But because life, eternal life, is found only in God through Christ—
the Lord from Eden has been beckoning us to choose Him, to "seek
the Lord, and . . . live" (Amos 5:6); for there is no option of life
anywhere else.
Think about this idea that life exists only in God. What does
that mean? After all, there are many people who, openly reject-
ing God, still live. Perhaps Jesus' words to a man who asked to
first bury his father ("But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and
let the dead bury their dead" [Matt. 8:221), can shed light on
this idea. What did Jesus mean by that, and how does it apply to
the concept of life existing only in Him?
39
Monday
October 29
THE MAKER OF THE PLEIADES.
"Seek him that maketh the seven stars [the Pleiades] and Orion,
and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh
the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and
poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his
name" (Amos 5:8).
/
n Amos's passionate appeal to Israel to turn back and "seek
the Lord" (vs. 6), he here points to the Lord in His role as
Creator, the One who "made the Pleiades," the One who "calls
for the waters of the sea" (vs. 8, NKJV). All through the Bible,
the Hebrew prophets would talk about the Lord as Creator, often
in the context of trying to turn the people away from their idola-
try and worship of the creation as opposed to the Creator Himself.
(See Isa. 37:16; 40:28; 44:24.) In fact, from Genesis through
Revelation, the Bible is clear about our origins: "All things were
made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was
made" (John 1:3, NKJV).
In the context, then, of yesterday's lesson, that of life existing
only in God, why does God's role as the Creator become so
important? How are the two ideas, that of life existing only in God
and God as Creator, tied together?
Life exists only in God because only God is the Creator. He created
life; life comes only from Him. Thus, when humankind separated
itself through sin from the Creator, the race itself was alienated from
its only source of life. "Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph. 4:18).
The essence of the gospel, the essence of salvation, then, comes
down to humankind being reconnected with the Creator, the One who
gave them life to begin with. That's why anything else we worship
other than God is false worship. Only in Him, the Creator, do we
have life. This seems to be implicit in the words of Amos here, where
he points them to the fact that God is the Creator.
Given the context of today's and yesterday's lesson, why does
the Sabbath play such an important role in our walk with God?
What does the Sabbath signify that would help us not to forget
where our life comes from and thus help protect us from the
kind of false worship, idolatry, and sin that brought such ruin
upon Israel?
40
Tuesday
October 30
CALL TO REPENTANCE (Hos. 10:12, 13).
G
od strongly urged on the apostate nation the benefits of seek-
ing Him. "Seek ye me," the Lord invited, promising that if
they returned they would live. The judgment could be averted
if they would accept God's terms instead of insisting on their own.
What was the response of most of the people to God's plea for
repentance?
What three items
are involved in God's call to
repentance?
Hos. 10:12.
1.
2.
3.
Here, again, amid all the evil, the idolatry, the violence, the
repression, God was still giving His people the opportunity to repent,
to turn back to Him.
Notice, too, that God isn't just asking for them to believe in Him;
this wasn't just some request for a little verbal honor or adoration. He
is demanding concrete action as well. What does He ask them to do?
The verse, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy" (NKJV)
seems to indicate that how they treat others is one of their biggest
problems. In other words, it wasn't just religious forms the Lord was
interested in. Here in Hosea (as in Amos) the appeal to the nation
concerned their relationship with others.
Maxwell had been a "good" Adventist all his life: never
smoked, never drank, never played cards, nor ever committed
adultery. He was a faithful tithe payer, a deacon, and someone
who was always involved in church projects. Yet, at home, he
was a tyrant. Cold, demanding, unforgiving, bullying, he showed
little or no grace to his wife or children. Though not physically
abusive, his words, his body language, his whole demeanor left
his family cowering before him. Though the few people who
knew about the problem tried to talk to him, Maxwell didn't
listen because, after all, by not smoking or drinking or playing
cards, he was still a "good" Adventist. What lesson can we learn
from the story about Maxwell, particularly in the context of
today's lesson?
41
Wednesday
October 31
"FOR
I KNOW YOUR MANIFOLD TRANSGRESSIONS"
(Amos 5:10-13).
A
mos moved from rebuking their false worship and lack of
mercy to a critique of social injustices found in Israel. Nearly
all of Amos is written in poetic form, interesting in light of the
prophet's humble background. In chapter 5, verse 10, he uses a poetic
structure that is known as "chiastic." In this case, the order of thoughts
could be expressed like this: A, B, B, A. This structure, which gives
added power and elegance to the point being made, is not evident in
most English Bibles, but in the Hebrew Bible the structure is as follows:
A
B
They hate
the one who reproves
in the gate
B'
A'
and the one who speaks truth
they abhor
Amos is talking about the people's attitude toward a judge who
reproved wrong and attempted to uphold the truth. The judges held
court in the gate area of the Israelite cities where they would be
accessible to all who needed their services.
In verses 11 and 12, Amos again attacks them because of how they
treat the poor. The Lord calls these offenses "your mighty sins" (NKJV).
Sin is bad enough, but to label their transgressions as
"mighty
sins"?—
no wonder the Lord says, "It is an evil time"! (Amos 5:13).
What ultimately do these verses
say
will
be the
punishment
that will come upon Israel for these
sins?
There's so much injustice in the world. All around us, in every
country, we see examples similar to what Amos refers to here. Per-
haps even in the church itself, some of these same principles of
iniquity exist. And though we cry out in our hearts for justice, for
equity, for things to be made right, often it doesn't happen, at least
not now. Amos doesn't promise that bad things and injustice will
not
happen—only that one day they will be avenged.
How should the promise that justice will, ultimately, come,
help us deal with the evils that exist around us now? Does it
mean we should ignore them, because in the end God will bring
justice? On the other hand, what danger is there of us attempt-
ing to do what, in the end, only God should do? How do we
strike a balance?
42
Thursday
November 1
HATE EVIL, LOVE GOOD (Amos 5:14, 15).
T
he people of Israel are told to "seek good and not evil, that you
may live; so the Lord God of hosts will be with you, as you
have spoken" (vs. 14, NKJV). What is Amos saying here?
Could it be that these people—so blinded in their sin, their iniquity,
and so adamantly opposed to the message of mercy sent to them—
nevertheless still think that "the Lord God of hosts" was with them?
(vs. 15).
After all, they were children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They
were the inheritors of the law, the promises, and the covenant at Sinai.
After all, they were the followers of the true God, the Creator of the
heavens and the earth. They were not to be like the pagans around them.
What principle found in verse 14 could be applicable to our
church today? See also Micah 3:11.
God was telling these people that they need to not only seek good and
not evil but to hate evil and love the good. Of course, we can do that only
if we know the distinction between good and evil, not always easy to do,
especially for those consciences that have been hardened in sin. It was
Frenchman Jean Jacques Rousseau who once wrote: "Conscience! Con-
science! Divine Instinct, immortal voice from heaven. Immortal guide
for a creature ignorant and finite indeed."
What problems exist with Rousseau's words? Why is our con-
science, though helpful, not the only guide we can use? What, in
the end, can be our only true guide for knowing the difference
between good and evil? See Isa. 8:20.
Once we come to understand the difference between good and evil,
we need to learn to love the one and hate the other. Obviously, only
the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives can do that for us.
(See John 16:13.) It's interesting, too, that we are told not only to
love the good but to hate the evil. Is it possible to love the good and
not hate the evil? Can a person truly love God and not hate sin?
What practical steps can a person take in his or her life
toward fulfilling this idea of hating evil and loving good? In
what
ways
are we making decisions
every
day—perhaps by what
we watch, read, think, or talk about—that, even in subtle ways,
are either moving us closer or further away from this crucial
principle?
43
Friday
November 2
F
URTHER STUDY: The Last-Day Remnant Church.
"God
has a church on earth who are lifting up the downtrodden law,
and presenting to the world the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sins of the world. . . .
"There is but one church in the world who are at the present time
standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old
waste places. . . .
"Let all be careful not to make an outcry against the only people
who are fulfilling the description given of the remnant people who
keep the commandments of God and have faith in Jesus. . . .
"God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but
superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law
of God. . . . If you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist
Church is Babylon, you are
wrong."—Testimonies to Ministers and
Gospel Workers,
pp. 50, 58, 59.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Read Hosea 11:1-8. In the context of this week's lesson,
what do these verses tell us about God's love for those He
rebukes?
2.
Study the last part of Amos 5:15, the part about the "rem-
nant of Joseph." Could it be that the remnant might not be
granted God's graciousness? In other words, just because
these people were called "the remnant" didn't guarantee
that they were not going to face condemnation. Discuss
what these words could mean for God's remnant church
today.
3.
How does one understand God's words that he or she should
"seek good, and not evil" (Amos 5:14), with the prohibition
in Genesis 2:17 about Adam and Eve staying away from
"the tree of the knowledge of good and evil"?
4.
How do you deal with a person who says that his or her
conscience is one's only guide? How can you show him or
her the danger in that principle?
S
UMMARY:Those who would live need to be connected with
the Source of life. That Source, God, is also the Creator. God
called Israel to repent, to turn to Him and live, and to forsake
their sins, which involved repression of others. Though injustice
filled the land, the Lord promised in His righteousness to bring
justice. The only hope for those living there was to love the good and
hate the evil. Is it any different today?
44
Buying Bottles for Christ
J. H. Zachary
Freddy Wondal is an outstanding layworker for Christ in Manado,
Indonesia. The Lord has used him to win more than 700 people to
Christ and raise up six new congregations. But Freddy had a
burden for a village that has steadfastly resisted the message of
Christ.
Freddy prayed that God would give him this town of 4,000 and
raise up a church. He needed a way to visit the people without
arousing their prejudice. God gave him the idea to buy old glass
bottles. Freddy tossed a rice sack over his shoulder, hiked to the
village, and began knocking on doors. "Do you have any old glass
bottles to sell?" he asked. It seemed everyone in town was eager to
turn their old bottles into cash.
The villagers are getting to know him, and whenever the op-
portunity comes, he shares a word for Christ. To those addicted to
tobacco he tells how he was a heavy smoker until God helped him
stop. "And God can help you stop smoking too," he adds. Freddy
knows that it will take time to build friendships before he can start
giving Bible studies. But he is patient.
Freddy's church provides a small stipend to work in the vil-
lage, and an Adventist who lives in Jakarta owns a small farm near
the village. He has hired Freddy to live on his farm and care for his
livestock, which allows Freddy to live near the village he serves.
One day a villager asked Freddy, "Are you a Seventh-day
Adventist?" Freddy was concerned that the wrong reply might
compromise his work. Then the man said, "I attended the Adventist
college near Manado. I would like to be baptized, and when you
are ready to build a church here, I will give you the land." Freddy
never doubted that God would have
a church in this village, but he was
amazed that God has already provided
the land.
Freddy Wondal (left) is a lay-
worker in Indonesia. J. H. Zachary is
coordinator of international evange-
lism for The Quiet Hour and a special
consultant for the General Con-
ference Ministerial Association.
Produced by the Office of
Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
45
.t.;
!..60
....
... •
.
..
Lesson 6
*November 3-9
Pass Over or Pass
Through?
Sabbath Afternoon
I
F ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, let him deny him-
self, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my
sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:24-26).
This idea, though expressed with different images, in a different
context, in different circumstances, is Amos's message to his con-
temporaries, and to us. And he delivers it with his usual powerful and
blunt words. No doubt, when he's done, no one could say that he or
she didn't know what the issues were or what was at stake.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Amos used imagery from the
Exodus in delivering his message. Why? What parallels existed
between the Exodus and Amos's time? God would either pass over
Israel or pass through it. What does that mean, and what is the
difference between the two? Amos talks about "the day of the
Lord" (5:18). Will this be a time of rejoicing or a time of terrible
sorrow? Why did the Lord despise His people's sacrifices, their
music, and their "sacred assemblies"? What was so wrong with
their worship that He openly rejected it?
MEMORY TEXT: "The day of the Lord is darkness, and not
light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or
went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a
serpent bit him" (Amos 5:18, 19).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 10).
46
Sunday
November 4
PASS OVER OR PASS THROUGH? (Amos 5:17; Exod. 12:12).
0
ne of the most fascinating warnings in Amos is found in
chapter five, verse 17, where the Lord says to the Israelites, "'I
will pass through you"' (NKJV). This reference no Israelite
would have a problem understanding, for it uses the same expression
found in Exodus 12:12, where God speaks of "passing through"
Egypt in judgment. Thus, in a sense, the Lord is telling the Israelites
that what He did to Egypt, He will do to them.
Read Exodus 12:12, 13. What parallels exist between
the atti-
tude
of the Egyptians and the attitude of the Israelites
that made
this reference to Egypt appropriate?
In the Exodus story, the only thing that saved the Hebrews from
the fate of the Egyptians was—the blood: "And when I see the blood,
I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy
you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Exod. 12:13).
The verb for "pass over" you,
pesach
(the Hebrew word from
which
Passover
is derived) is totally different from the verb "pass
through" used in Exodus 12:12 and in Amos 5:17. Both verbs are
talking about two different things. What a difference a single prepo-
sition makes (at least in the English translation!). In one case, it leads
to destruction; in another, it leads to divine deliverance.
The difference between life and death in the Exodus story was
the blood. Which verses in the New Testament teach us what that
blood meant and why there was deliverance in it and it alone?
(See, for example, Heb. 9:22; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 7:14.)
Today, of course, the Lord doesn't ask us to put blood on the
doorposts of our homes to avert the "destroyer" (Exod. 12:23). Never-
theless, in the end, the issues at stake are just as real, just as conse-
quential, as they were in Egypt or in Amos's time. Considering the
nature of the great controversy between good and evil, sooner or
later, in one way or another, divine retribution for our sins will either
"pass through" our midst or "pass over" us.
What makes the crucial difference?
As in the time of the Exodus, the time of Amos, and our time, the
decisive factor is the blood.
What do we, personally, do with the blood?
47
Monday
November 5
THE DAY OF THE LORD (Amos 5:18-20).
"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it
for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light" (Amos
5:18).
L
ook at the irony in verse 18. The Israelites were actually so
blinded by their sin and self-deception that they thought "the
day of the Lord" was going to be something good, which is why
they desired it. However, the Lord warns that it will be a day of
darkness and not light, a day when a man will flee from a lion only to
be overtaken by a bear (vs. 19). In short, it will not be a pleasant
happening, at least not for some.
Look at these other references to the "day of the Lord" in the
Bible. What do they all have in common?
Joel 2:31, 32
Obad. 1:15-17
Zeph. 1:7, 8
Acts 2:20, 21
These texts all indicate that the day of the Lord will be a time of
destruction, judgment, and punishment. Yet, at the same time, Chris-
tians often understand "the day of the Lord" as something good, for
it's the time when Christ returns, and if that is not good, nothing is.
The answer to this paradox, however, is simple. The day of the
Lord, for some, will indeed be a terrible time; for others, it will be a
time of deliverance and salvation. What makes the crucial difference
can be found in some of the above texts.
Go through those texts listed above. Where do you see the
hope that people can have on the "day of the Lord"? For
example, look at Zephaniah 1:7, 8. Notice how the text talks
about a sacrifice. Who does that represent? It talks about guests
invited to a dinner. What dinner could that be? (see Matt. 22:1-
12). It talks about strange apparel. What does that mean? The
point is that in most of these verses, despite the warnings—there
is hope. Where does that hope come from, what is it centered
upon, and most importantly, how do we get it?
48
Tuesday
November 6
EMPTY RITUALS (Amos 5:21-23).
"I learned to fear the Pharisee more than the sinner."
—South African writer Laurens van der Post.
11
through the Bible, the Lord constantly rebuked Israel for
false worship, for worshiping idols, for following after strange
gods. How incredible then, that in Amos 5, He speaks against
their feast days and "sacred assemblies"—feasts and sacred days that
He Himself had instituted. What's going on?
Why did God despise Israel's feast days? Why did He tell them to
take away their music? Why did He not regard their sacrifices?
Israelites for the most part observed the traditional rituals but chose
to ignore their meaning. These outward expressions accentuated their
hypocrisy. For instance, the peace offerings were an expression of
gratitude, good will, and brotherhood and had no real meaning if the
people did not have or share these qualities. Even the insincere use of
music in the temple made an offensive sound in the ears of God.
The message here is clear: Religious forms and rituals, if not accom-
panied by an inner renewal, if not accompanied by hearts broken and
surrendered to God, are not only meaningless but an offense to Him. In
fact, they can be very dangerous, as well, for those who think that simply
because they are following a few religious rites and observances they are
holy and God's chosen people and thus can do no wrong.
How do the following words given through other prophets add
to our understanding of what God was saying about Israel's vain
forms of worship?
Isa. 1:11-15
Hos. 8:13
Mal. 1:6-8
The spiritual lesson from these verses is obvious. At the same
time, if we had to be perfect, or sinless, before we worshiped
God, our churches would be almost empty on Sabbath. (The
only ones there, probably, would be those whose worship is the
type condemned in the above verses.) What's the difference
between those sinners whose worship is not acceptable and those
whose worship is like a "sweet smell"? (Phil. 4:18).
49
Wednesday
November 7
WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE?
"Let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a
mighty stream" (Amos 5:24).
H
ow stunning, how clear, how unequivocal are the words here.
God is more interested in how we treat others, how we help
the oppressed, and how fair we are in our dealings than He is
in our religious rituals and forms. He wants righteousness—not a
little, not a spray, not a sprinkle, not even a rivulet; He wants right-
eousness, instead, like a mighty river.
Where alone does this righteousness come from? And,
sec-
ondly,
how do we get it for ourselves?
"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten
thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, 0 man,
what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Mic. 6:7, 8).
In the context of today's lesson, read Matthew 7:22. What is
Jesus saying there that relates to the above verses?
It's one of the easiest things in the world to be religious. Everyone,
from mafia individuals to corrupt politicians, can be religious. It's
one of the more difficult things, however, to be loving, giving,
humble, and merciful. Fallen human nature is, at its essence, selfish,
corrupt, egocentric; and all the religion (even the correct religion),
all the religious forms (even the correct forms), all the outward
trappings (even the correct trappings), even "burnt offerings" (Amos
5:22), "fattened peace offerings" (vs. 23, NKJV), and "thousands of
rams" (Mic. 6:7) are never going to change character for the good.
Only a heart surrendered in faith and obedience to God can be
changed into one that is pleasing to Him.
Why is dwelling upon Jesus, upon His life, His character, His
sacrifice, the best means of changing us into that which He
wants us to be? Imagine if we spent some time every day dwell-
ing upon some aspect of Jesus and His life. How could that
change us where it matters? Imagine what a difference it would
make in our homes, in our witness, and in our own personal
relationship with God.
50
Thursday
November 8
"THE STAR OF YOUR GODS" (Amos 5:26).
"Ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your
images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. There-
fore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith
the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts" (Amos 5:26, 27).
H
owever obscure (scholars aren't sure of whom or what "Chiun"
is), in many ways Amos 5:26 details the great problem with
Israel, and with the world in general, and that is idolatry—the
worship of anything and everything except the only One who can
save us.
Idolatry (and you don't need stone statues to be an idolater) is
so prevalent because everywhere people are seeking answers; they
want hope. They covet salvation, even if they're not sure what
that means but know only that they need to be saved. There's
something about humans that cries out for permanence, for mean-
ing, for stability; yet all around us, in every way, instability,
impermanence, and meaninglessness surround us. If nothing else,
the Second Law of Thermodynamics alone teaches that every-
thing is heading for decay, and if that's the final end, what can it
all mean?
"Either there is some support for our being," wrote Richard
Bernstein, "a fixed foundation for our knowledge, or we cannot
escape the forces of darkness that envelop us. . . ."—Richard
Bernstein,
Beyond Objectivism and Relativism
(University of Penn.
Press, 1983), p. 18.
Thus, everywhere and in every way, people are looking for an-
swers. They find something that seems to provide those answers, that
is what they worship. That becomes their god.
What are some of the things people make into idols?
In Amos, the Lord is giving Israel a choice, a choice between
a "fixed foundation for knowledge," the knowledge of Himself
as Creator and Redeemer, "or the forces of darkness"; in this
specific case, the Assyrians. We, today, whatever our situation
might be, are all faced with the same basic choices. We will
worship the Lord God alone, or we will be worshiping idols
because, in the end, we always worship something. Examine
yourself and ask this pertinent question (remembering that
idols don't have to be made of wood or stone)—Is there anything
in my life that, if I don't give it up, will lead me into my own
personal Assyrian captivity?
51
Friday
November 9
F
URTHER STUDY:
"There has been very little deep piety and
wholeness to God. When the spirit of Christ takes possession of
the heart, then there is a missionary for God. The most griev-
ous sin of idolatry exists in the church. And he who interposes
between the professed Christian and his wholehearted service to God,
takes the form of an idol, and the most grievous sin of idolatry is
idolatry
itself."—Manuscript Releases,
vol. 12, p. 330.
"The last great day will be a triumph of law. The Lord is preparing
for His last great work, and He will rise out of His place to punish the
world for her iniquity. Then the earth will disclose her blood, and
shall no more cover her slain. Who will prepare to hold up a light
amid the moral darkness that exists in our world[?]. The wretchedness
that has been accumulating for ages and that is degrading humanity,
is not sensed as it should be. 'Thou shalt have no other gods before
me' is the command of God. Idolatry exists in the church-goers today
as verily as in the days of Noah. But when His commands are obeyed,
the human family will be elevated, ennobled, and exalted."—Ellen
White,
The Kress Collection,
p. 49.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
We tend to think of idols as always something bad in and of
themselves; yet that's not always the case. Wood and stone
statues are not in and of themselves bad. In other words,
idols can be something that, in and of themselves, are not
evil. Instead, what makes them evil is how we relate to
them. Discuss this notion. Can someone have something
that's an idol to him or her that another person has also,
which doesn't pose the same spiritual threat?
2.
In the context of Wednesday's lesson, where the Lord wanted
"righteousness as a mighty stream," how are we to under-
stand "righteousness" here? In other words, is this a right-
eousness merely credited to us by faith, or is it something
that we actually do? Or both? Explain.
3.
Look up all the references to the "day of the Lord" found in
the Bible. What other insights do these texts
give
regarding
this special time?
S
UMMARY:
As in previous lessons, the Lord's message to
Israel here is the same:
I am a God ofjudgment, but also a God
of forgiveness. I will punish you for your sins and iniquities, or
I will forgive you for them. The choice is yours.
52
Aft
Boxing Champion Seeks Ultimate Prize
C. Pheirim
Shomen (SHOW-men) was the Indian national boxing cham-
pion. He had won numerous championships and had medals to
prove it. He was used to winning. Yet in one area of his life he felt
frustrated. "Lord, show me the true church," Shomen prayed.
"Lead me to a church that follows all of the Bible."
Raised an unbeliever, Shomen had become a Christian several
years earlier. But he was not satisfied. He lives in a region of India
where there are many Christians, so he had ample opportunities to
attend evangelistic meetings sponsored by many different churches.
But after attending the meetings, he would shake his head and tell
his wife, "This is not God's true church."
Then in April 1999 Shomen saw posters for another evangelis-
tic series featuring a pastor he had not heard of before. Perhaps this
pastor would be the answer to his prayer.
Shomen and his wife decided to attend the meetings every
evening, in spite of the fact that the meetings began at an awkward
time for him to get away from his government job. But he was
determined to be there.
More than 800 men and women crowded into a building that
seated only 700. Every evening Shomen hurried to the meeting to
get a good seat. He did not want to miss one of the Bible lectures.
One day he visited the pastor in his hotel room. "Pastor, I have
heard many great preachers, but never was I satisfied with their
messages. But I believe that finally I have found someone who
preaches the Bible message, not man's message. I have been
searching for the truth, and I know that God has led me to your
meetings, for here I have found His
true church. My wife and I want to be
baptized."
Shomen and his wife were among
38 people who were baptized at the
end of the evangelistic meetings. "The
prize that I have found in God's Word
is more valuable to me than any of
my medals," says Shomen.
Shomen, left. C. Pheirim is president
of the Northeast India Union, located in
Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
Produced by the
Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
53
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THE CHALLENGE
Church membership in the Central
American Union is growing at a record
pace. New congregations are springing up
everywhere thanks to the efforts of active
lay men and women. Poverty-stricken
congregations cannot build chapels fast
enough to accommodate the growth.
Often a family can afford to buy only a
block or two at a time.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will
help provide 50 chapels for existing
congregations in Guatemala and a lay
training Bible institute in Honduras.
Read
Mission
to learn how God is
changing lives in Central America.
Lesson 7
*November 10-16
"At Ease in Zion"
Sabbath Afternoon
p
HYSICISTS BELIEVE FOUR MAJOR FORCES
exist in
the universe: gravity, electromagnetism, the weak nuclear force,
and the strong nuclear force. They're hoping one day to formu-
late a theory that can explain all four as different aspects of one
grand, unifying, and overarching universal force.
Maybe they'll find it, maybe not; but if they do, they're going to be
surprised at what it is, for the one force that explains the universe is,
simply, love—God's love. Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross for the
sins of a fallen, ungrateful, most unsympathetic world, has forever and
irrevocably proven that the greatest power in the universe is God's
love.
As you study this week's lesson, see the various ways in which, in
this specific context, this love is expressed, especially on the lesson
that deals with, ironically enough, what God "hates." Can a God of
love hate? Of course, in fact, the hate stems directly from His love.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What does it mean to be "at ease in
Zion"? What parallels exist between the situation in Israel at this
time and with the Laodicean church? What does it mean when the
Bible says that a God of love "hates" something? What role does
guilt have to play, both for good and for bad, in our walk with the
Lord? What fate awaited Israel because of her refusal to repent?
MEMORY TEXT: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:
be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 17.)
56
Sunday
November 11
THE GOOD LIFE.
"Woe to you who are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1, NKJV).
As
mos 6 begins with a description of a people living
the good
life.
They are physically comfortable, lying in "beds of ivory,"
tretched out on their couches, feasting on the meat of their
flocks, making "musical instruments like David," (NKJV) and anointing
themselves "with the best oil" (vss. 4-6).
Not a bad life, at least for the moment.
"Their luxury and revelry are revealed in their lying on ivory
inlaid beds, lolling on couches, banqueting on the best of fatted lambs
and calves, having their depraved spirits lulled and soothed by las-
civious songs and music, drinking their wine from large sacrificial
bowls, and anointing themselves with the choicest of fine oils. But
their debauched spirits were 'not grieved for the affliction of Joseph,'
the poor of their brethren. The coming ruin of the nation, as it was
being heralded by the rising power of the conquering Assyrians and
by the warnings of Amos, struck no responsive chord in their hearts
that were satiated by revelry and carousing."—H. Hailey,
A Commen-
tary on the Minor Prophets
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book
House, 1972), p. 114.
Read Ezekiel 16:49. What parallels exist between Sodom and
the situation Amos is addressing?
1.
2.
3.
4.
In Matthew 19:24, Jesus said, "And again I say unto you, It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God." Notice the context in which Jesus says
those words that dealt with the rich young ruler, someone Jesus has
been trying to witness to. The same principle is here in Amos: God is
trying to witness, warn, and save a people who, from outward appear-
ances, have it good. No wonder they were so hard to reach.
Cigarettes often have warnings written on the packets that
contain them. If you were to write a warning outside a package
that contained wealth, how might you phrase it?
57
Monday
November 12
AT EASE IN LAODICEA (Rev. 3:14-20).
"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and
have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17).
I
t would be natural to find some parallels between the church in
Amos's time and the Loadicean church. Read carefully the mes-
sage to Laodicea and then compare it with the message of Amos in
the first six verses of chapter 6. Parallels do exist, if not exact.
What do the two messages have in common? What do they have
that distinguishes them? Are they dealing with the same prob-
lems? If so, what are they?
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two messages is that
Amos seems to be dwelling mostly on the immediate physical situa-
tion of the people, their economic wealth and material prosperity.
The message to the Laodiceans, however, seems to be dealing not so
much with the physical aspect of the church (after all, not everyone in
Laodicea is wealthy) but with their
spiritual
condition. Money doesn't
appear to be the main issue for Laodicea. The Laodiceans think that
their spiritual condition is fine. As shown in previous lessons, the
Israelites had that problem as well. No doubt, however, for the
Israelites, their wealth contributed to their spiritual decline.
Look at Revelation 3:19. What parallels can be drawn between
what the Lord is telling the Laodiceans in this
verse
and what He
has been telling the Israelites through Amos?
The Adventist Church exists in nations all over the world; we have
some very wealthy Adventists, and we have some very poor ones.
Rich or poor, however, we are all equal in value before God, because
He paid the same price to redeem us all. The soul of a rich person
doesn't cost any more to redeem than the soul of a poor one. Both
come at a very heavy cost (1 Pet. 1:18, 19).
Whether we're rich or poor financially, the Loadicean message
has something to tell us as a church today, but more importantly,
it's also talking to us as individuals. Read the message again and,
instead of looking at everyone else—the pastor, the elders, fellow
members—see in what way it applies to yourself. But don't stop
there (for it could be very discouraging). Look at the solution.
58
Tuesday
November 13
WHEN GOD "HATES" (Amos 6:7-11).
"I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces" (Amos 6:8,
NKJV).
A
„ through the Bible, one theme comes through (in one mani-
festation or another): Our God is a God of infinite love,
compassion, and mercy. Thus, when the Lord says that He
"hates" something, we need to perk up our ears and listen.
Listed below are some verses that talk about what the Lord
hates. What are the things He hates?
1.
Dent. 12:31
2.
Dent. 16:22
3.
Ps. 10:3
4.
Ps. 11:5
5.
Ps. 78:59
6.
Mal. 2:16
In the context of today's lesson, Amos said that the Lord "hated"
the pride of Jacob and "his palaces" (Amos 6:8, NKJV). According to
The SDA Bible Commentary,
"It is bad enough to waste honestly
earned money on pretentious buildings, but the Israelites had secured
their luxury and splendor by dishonesty, particularly through injus-
tice to the poor. . . . The divine hatred of Jacob's 'excellency' and
`palaces' reveals that God does not hate men, but does hate their
sinful deeds and works."—Vol. 4, p. 974.
As
Christians, we understand that the greatest revelation of
God has come to us through Jesus Christ. It's hard for us,
considering the character of Christ, to see God as "hating"
anything. "Hate," in so many ways, seems like such a human
trait—particularly a fallen human trait. Nevertheless, there are
some things that the Bible says God "hates." How do we under-
stand that? When God "hates" something, what does that mean?
What dangers are there in using our own concept of human hate
to understand it in God? Why is it right for God to "hate"? How
does His infinite love help us understand how He could "hate"?
59
Wednesday
November 14
THE NAME OF THE LORD.
"No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we
may not make
mention of the name of the Lord" (Amos 6:10).
A
mos 6: 9, 10 projects into the future, talking about what will
happen to Israel as a result of her sins. The interesting part
comes at the end of verse 10, where they say that they will not
make mention "of the name of the Lord." Considering that so often in
the Hebrew Bible, the "name of the Lord" is an object of praise,
adoration, joy, power, and deliverance (Exod. 33:19; Deut. 31:3; Ps.
7:17; 20:7; 116:4; 13; Acts 2:21), it's incredible that they won't even
make mention of His name at this time.
The SDA Bible Commentary,
volume 4, page 974, presents several
possible reasons why the Israelites at that time would not make men-
tion of the Lord. For discussion purposes consider the following:
1.
They felt it was too late to call on God. They had a sense of
despair.
2.
They didn't want to mention the Lord's name because of their
unbelief.
3.
They blamed God for the judgments they received.
4.
If they mentioned the Lord's name they felt they would be ridiculed.
Though we can only speculate, what reason could explain this
strange verse? (Amos 6:10).
One possible option could also be that of guilt. Guilt is such a
powerful weapon of the enemy. So often, when we sin, guilt rears its
ugly head. Not that guilt, in and of itself, is bad. Guilt can be used by
the Holy Spirit to bring us to repentance, to bring us to our knees, to
bring us to the foot of the Cross. That's when guilt is, in a sense,
"good." On the other hand, guilt is bad when, because of our sins, we
feel that we can't come to God. We feel that we're too bad to ever
dare ask for mercy or forgiveness. Like the Israelites we fear to
"mention the name of the Lord." We feel it would be presumptuous
on our part to think we could, again, be forgiven. Here's where guilt
is being used by the enemy of souls. Satan would love nothing more
than to use our guilt to drive us away from the only source of its cure,
and that is the Cross.
Becky fell into some sins that brought dire consequences upon
herself. How would you present Christ's atonement to her in a
way that could help her understand that whatever she had done,
whatever the consequences, the Savior can forgive and heal?
60
Thursday
November 15
NO ESCAPE FROM THE ASSYRIAN CAPTIVITY (Amos 6:12-
14).
"Behold, I will raise up a nation against you, 0 house of Israel"
(Amos 6:14, NKJV).
T
here are some fascinating images used in verses 11-13 to
describe the situation in Israel. What points is the Lord mak-
ing? Particularly interesting is the question in verse 12: "Does
one plow there with the oxen"? (NKJV). Some scholars read the text
as, "Does one plow the sea with oxen"? Either way, the message is
the same: Because you have refused to repent, judgment is coming,
and your efforts to avoid it are fruitless.
What nation will fulfill the role of destroying the northern
kingdom? 2 Kings 18:9, 10; Amos 6:14.
The Assyrian ruler, Tiglath-pileser III, having possibly arranged
for the assassination of the king of Israel, Pekah, placed Hoshea on
the throne as a vassal king, requiring him to pay a heavy tribute. In
desperation, Hoshea formed an alliance with Egypt against Assyria.
Shalmaneser, who succeeded Tiglath-pileser, attacked Israel, laying
siege to Samaria. He probably took the city during the last year of his
reign in 723/722 B.c.
"The destruction that befell the northern kingdom was a direct
judgment from Heaven. The Assyrians were merely the instruments
that God used to carry out His purpose. . . . It was because they had
left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them
molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshiped all
the host of heaven, and served Baal,' and refused steadfastly to repent,
that the Lord 'afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of
spoilers, until He had cast them out of His sight,' in harmony with the
plain warnings He had sent them 'by all His servants the prophets.'"
—Prophets and Kings,
pp. 291, 292.
What does "You have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of
righteousness into wormwood" (Amos 6:12, NKJV) mean? (Hint:
gall
means a "poisonous herb" and
wormwood
means "hem-
lock.") How do you help a new believer understand the concept
of divine judgment? Often times, new Christians, particularly
those who don't have any biblical background, struggle with the
sections of the Bible in which nations wipe out other nations, all
done in the name of God's judgment. What can you do to help
someone questioning these incidents?
61
Friday
November 16
F
URTHER STUDY:
"In the terrible judgments brought upon
the ten tribes the Lord had a wise and merciful purpose. That
which He could no longer do through them in the land of their
fathers He would seek to accomplish by scattering them among the
heathen. His plan for the salvation of all who should choose to avail
themselves of pardon through the Saviour of the human race must yet
be fulfilled; and in the afflictions brought upon Israel, He was prepar-
ing the way for His glory to be revealed to the nations of earth. Not all
who were carried captive were impenitent. Among them were some
who had remained true to God, and others who had humbled them-
selves before Him. Through these, 'the sons of the living God' (Hosea
1:10), He would bring multitudes in the Assyrian realm to a knowl-
edge of the attributes of His character and the beneficence of His
law."—Prophets and Kings,
p. 292.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a famous line in one of his books:
"The wealthy," he said, "are different from you and me."
In what ways is that true? On the other hand, in what ways,
in the context of God, the Cross, and salvation, are the
wealthy exactly like everyone else? In what sense even are
they, potentially, worse off?
2.
In Amos, the hardness of the people to God's warnings
jump out of the pages of the Bible. Why were they so hard-
ened to the Lord? Even more importantly, because all these
incidents were given to us as "ensamples" (1 Cor. 10:11),
what lessons should we learn from the Israelites' sorry
fate? In other words, could we be just as blind and hard
without knowing it? Think about this in the context of the
Laodicean message.
3.
In Amos 6:3, the prophet writes, "Woe to you who put off
the day of doom" (NKJV). What does that mean? What
New Testament verses parallel this idea? In what ways do
we, perhaps
even
subtly, do the same thing?
4.
Further discuss this notion of God "hating" something. Is it
hard to think of things that God hates? Make your own list
of what you think God hates. If you have a concordance, go
through the Bible and see if your list matches what Scrip-
ture says on that topic.
S
UMMARY:
While Israel was at ease, utterly ignoring God's
warning, judgment loomed over the horizon.
62
He Walked With Lions
Charlotte Ishkanian
Takila (tah-KEE-lah) is a global mission pioneer in Zambia. He had
spent some time teaching the people in one village about God. The
people listened, but they did not respond to his invitation to trust
Christ. Takila decided to visit another village. He asked for directions
to the next village and was told it was not far. By midday he began
walking toward the next village.
Takila did not know it, but the people in the village planned to test
him to see if what he had told them was true. They asked the witch
doctor to call on the lions of the savannah to test Takila's honesty.
Takila walked all afternoon toward the next village. As the sun
slipped behind the distant hills, Takila realized that the village was
farther than he thought. Darkness set in, but Takila had no place to
spend the night. In the distance Takila could see lights moving. He
realized the lights were the glow of lions' eyes.
Takila pleaded with God to protect him from the hungry lions. As
he walked he realized that the lions were walking the same direction,
but they did not come near him. When he stopped to rest, the lions
stopped. Takila's fear drained away as he realized that God had sent
the lions to protect him.
Dawn revealed a village in the distance. Takila hurried toward it.
The villagers were surprised to see a stranger approach and asked
him where he had come from. When he told them, they shouted, "That
is impossible! The lions of the savannah would have killed you."
Takila looked toward the savannah, but the lions were gone. Then
he told the gathering crowd that the God whom he serves had sent the
lions to protect him and keep him company during the long walk.
Word spread fast about the man who walked with lions. The chief
invited Takila to teach the villagers about his mighty God, and many
have responded. When the rainy season ends, a pastor will come to
baptize those who have given
their hearts to God. Other vil-
lages have asked Takila to come
and tell them about the power-
ful God he serves, the God who
can send lions to protect a man
who trusts in Him.
Charlotte Ishkanian is editor
of
Mission.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
o3
Lesson 8
*November 17-23
Vision One Locusts and
Prayer
te•
a
law •
Sabbath Afternoon
I
S IT POSSIBLE THAT A LITERAL, UNPRECEDENTED
PLAGUE
of locusts devastated the southern kingdom of Israel;
or were the locusts just a symbol of destruction, nothing more?
Either way, the message, as given by Amos and Joel, came couched in
vivid language designed to catch the attention of their audience.
Their hearers could hardly have missed the unusual significance and
timeliness of their startling message.
However, the Holy Spirit had others in mind, as well. The hyper-
bole (purposeful exaggeration) that especially characterizes Joel's
description of the army of locusts, as well as other dramatic descrip-
tions in his book, indicates clearly that the prophecies of the locusts
contain last-day, judgment-hour significance.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What calamity did Amos warn
would overtake Israel? Was it literal or figurative (or does it even
matter)? Why did God "repent" for what He was about to do?
What role did Amos have in having God avert, at least tempo-
rarily, the disaster? What role does intercessory prayer have in
our lives? What does it mean to have an Intercessor? How does
the locust plague in Joel relate to the warnings given in Amos?
These and other issues are looked at this week as we study the
first vision given in the book of Amos.
MEMORY TEXT: "Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is
at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come"
(Joel 1:15).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 24.)
64
Sunday
November 18
THE FIRST VISION (Amos 7:1-3).
"Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me; and, behold, he
formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the
latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's
mowings" (Amos 7:1).
U
p till now, the book of Amos consisted of the words that
Amos, speaking in the name of the Lord, uttered to Israel.
Chapter seven, however, begins with a shift: "Thus the Lord
God
showed me"
(vs. 1,
NKJV).
The Hebrew is literally, "caused me
to see," a common phrase used in Scripture to present the idea that
the prophet was having a vision. For whatever reason, there is a
dramatic change in how Amos received God's message. He now sees
in vision what he is to relate to Israel.
Read the first three verses of Amos 7. What was the vision that
Amos was presented?
Scholars aren't sure whether the locusts here were literal, as if there
really were to be a swarm of insects coming down upon Israel and
wiping out its crop, or if it were symbolic, representative of the
Assyrian army that would devastate the land. Either reading would
work. However one wants to view it, the message is still the same:
God's judgments are about to fall on an apostate people who refuse to
repent of their sins, who refuse to turn back to the Lord, who is more
than willing to forgive, heal, and restore to divine favor.
One thing that comes through as we read the book of Amos
is just how high the stakes are. These people are told to
repent or great calamity will come upon them. In other
words, God isn't playing games here. The issues involve the
eternal salvation of souls, not to mention the whole aspect of
the vindication of God before the universe. Thus, if the
punishments seem harsh, it's only because the issues are so
great, so weighty, so fraught with, literally, eternal conse-
quences. We need to keep this in mind any time we tend to
question why Israel should face such dire consequences.
Indeed, the dire consequences themselves should serve as a
reminder of the importance of the issues in the great contro-
versy between good and evil—a battle that we, too, are inti-
mately involved in.
65
Monday
November 19
THE LORD REPENTED.
"And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating
the grass of the land, then I said, 0 Lord God, forgive, I beseech
thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. The Lord repented
for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord" (Amos 7:2, 3).
A
mos 7:3 brings in an interesting phrase: "The Lord repented
for this." What it seems to be saying is that, thanks to the
intercession of Amos, the Lord decided not to bring the calam-
ity, at least at this time, upon Israel.
What does this mean, however, to say that the Lord "repented"?
The Hebrew verb used,
naham,
is not the verb used in the earlier
lesson, in which people repented by "turning back." The word, in-
stead, can also mean "to have passion" or "to have pity," which
would make better sense in this context.
Here are some other texts that talk about God repenting. What
can you learn from each one about what it means to say that God
repented?
Exod. 32:14
1 Sam. 15:35
Jer. 42:10
John 3:10
Obviously, when God "repents" it's not the same thing as when we
repent. Though the concept itself, that of God "repenting," is wrought
with many philosophical and theological questions about God's fore-
knowledge and our freewill, these verses and others show that events
which God warns His prophets about can indeed be stopped, if the right
conditions are met. In other words, in certain circumstances, we find
within this idea of God "repenting" the notion of the
conditionality
of
prophecy, the principle that prophecies will or will not be fulfilled,
depending upon whether certain conditions
are
or
are not
met.
Though the whole question of the conditionality of prophecy
is hotly debated, one point comes through: As human beings, we
have the capacity of free choice, and our decisions will greatly
impact our final end. How crucial that we use our free choice
wisely. Our eternal destiny depends upon it.
66
Tuesday
November 20
THE INTERCESSOR: PART 1.
Look up these verses. What do they
all have in common?
1.
Exod. 32:32
2.
1 Kings 8:50
3.
Jer. 7:16
4.
Dan. 9:16-23
5.
Amos 7:2
6.
Zech. 3:1-5
A
common thread runs through all of these verses, which is
that the people of God have sinned, and they have Someone
standing before God pleading in their behalf. In each case they
have an intercessor praying to the Lord for them.
This is what is happening in the book of Amos, as well. Amos
himself is pleading before God to avert the upcoming catastrophe. "0
Lord God," he says, "forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob
arise? for he is small (Amos 7:2). In this case, the Lord listened to his
cry.
These texts present the idea commonly known as "intercessory
prayer," a notion that teaches that we can, through our prayers, move
God to act in a certain manner. The Bible, time and again, teaches
that prayer makes a difference, not just in our own lives but in the
lives of those for whom we pray. No wonder, then, that the Bible so
often tells us to pray, not just for ourselves but for others. God
wouldn't have us pray if prayer didn't have the potential to change
things. However difficult it might be to understand how it works, it is
clear—prayer works!
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that
ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much" (James 5:16).
Prayer is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith.
Only those who engage in it, who have experienced the power of
prayer, know how crucial it is, even if we don't always under-
stand how it functions. As air is to life, prayer is to the spiritual
life. Given what we've read today, make a list of various reasons
why prayer, even intercessory prayer, is so important, not just
for those prayed for but for the one doing the praying.
67
Wednesday
November 21
THE INTERCESSOR: PART 2.
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us" (Rom. 8:34).
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them" (Heb. 7:25).
T
hough Amos, and others, acted as intercessors, according to
Scripture, there is only one true Intercessor, Jesus Christ. In
fact, scholars have seen in some of the examples in Tuesday's
lesson types of Christ; that is, those who interceded in behalf of their
people as examples of what Christ would do for us as our Intercessor.
In what
ways
did some of those Old Testament characters in
yesterday's lesson act as "types" of Christ? What did they do
that, in a sense, prefigured what Christ would do for us?
The Bible does teach that we, as sinful humans, need an interces-
sor. Sin causes a rift between a holy God and an unholy creature, so
great that the creature couldn't even stand alone before God. The
blinding contrast between God and humankind, between holiness and
unholiness, is seen in the human reaction whenever God manifested
Himself to humans. In every case, even in the case of "holy" men—
unholiness can't bear holiness.
When the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses
"hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exod. 3:6). Job,
after glimpsing the Lord, cried out, "I have heard of thee by the
hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5, 6). Isaiah, after a
vision of God sitting upon a throne and being worshiped by angels
who sang of His holiness, cried, "Woe is me! for I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of
hosts" (Isa. 6:5). Ezekiel, Paul, and John, each in his own unique
circumstances, got a glimpse of God, and their reactions were always
the same: They fell prostrate before Him, unable to bear the sight.
How do we understand Christ's role as our Intercessor? What
does it mean for us, at this moment, that Jesus is standing between
us and God as our Intercessor? How should that impact our daily
lives, particularly our struggle against sin and self?
68
Thursday
November 22
THE LOCUSTS (Joel 1:4-15).
S
ome evidence indicating that, perhaps, the locust swarm could
be literal is found in a prophecy from the book of Joel,
which in much greater detail talks about a locust plague that
would sweep over the land.
How is the threat of a similar locust plague described in Joel
1:4-15?
Notice four stages in the unprecedented locust plague described in
Joel 1:4. The palmer worms were followed by the locusts, which in
turn, were followed by cankerworms, and then caterpillars. Page 678
of the
SDA Bible Dictionary
describes the four words used in se-
quence in Joel 1:4 this way:
Gazam.
"It is most probably the locust in the 1st stage of its
development, hence wingless, though not a true larva such as a
caterpillar. Some see in it the young adult.
`Arbeh.
"It is thought that it is the African migratory locust . . . in
its fully developed wing stage, in which it invades a country in
swarms and deposits eggs. This locust is very common in Palestine.
Yeleq.
"It is most probably the creeping, unwinged migratory
locust in the last stage of development before it becomes a winged
adult. Some have identified it with the newly hatched locust, which
can jump but not crawl.
ChasiL
"The Dutch scientist F. Bruijel . . . sees it as the fully
grown locust at the stage when it leaves Palestine."
Locusts, locusts everywhere, sweep over the fields, stripping the
land of every last plant and leave drought, famine, and devastation.
Joel's focus is not on the locust plague alone but also on the calami-
tous events of the day of the Lord that the plague foreshadowed. The
events of the historical day of the Lord, whenever such a day occurred
in the history of Israel, were unsurpassed in the lives of those who
lived through them. Likewise, the events of the end-time day of the
Lord will be without parallel in history (see Dan. 12:1).
One of the great struggles that we, as Seventh-day Adventist
Christians face, deals with living day by day, yet with the
realization that great catastrophes will usher in the end of the
world. We don't want to ignore the signs of the end. On the
other hand, if we obsess over them, we are looking for trouble,
as well. How can we find a right balance between living as
responsible citizens now while awaiting the end of the world?
69
Friday
November 23
F
URTHER READING:
"Christ was crucified for our sins, and
was raised from the rent sepulcher for our justification; and he
proclaims in triumph, 'I am the resurrection and the life.' Jesus
lives as our intercessor to plead before the Father. He has carried the
sins of the whole world, and has not made one mortal man a sin-bearer
for others. No man can bear the weight of his own sins. The crucified
One bore them all, and every soul who believes in him shall not
perish, but have everlasting life. The disciple of Christ will be fitted
by his grace for every trial and test as he strives for perfection of
character. By looking away from Jesus to some other one, or to
something else, he may sometimes make mistakes; but as soon as he
is warned of his danger, he again fastens his eyes upon Jesus, in
whom his hope of eternal life is centered, and he plants his feet in the
footprints of his Lord, and travels on securely. He rejoices, saying,
`He is my living intercessor before God. He prays in my behalf. He is
my advocate, and clothes me with the perfection of his own righ-
teousness. This is all I require to enable me to bear shame and
reproach for his dear name's sake. If he permits me to endure perse-
cution, he will give me grace and the comfort of his presence.'"
—Ellen G. White,
Review and Herald,
May 12, 1896.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Dwell more on the idea of the conditionality of prophecy.
Are all prophecies conditional? In other words, is Christ's
prophecy that He will come again, this time in the clouds of
heaven, a conditional prophecy? How can we distinguish
between conditional and unconditional prophecy?
2.
In a recent experiment conducted in a prestigious hospital,
two groups of patients were studied: One group had people
praying for them, another group didn't. Much to the scien-
tists' surprise, those who had been prayed for recuperated
at a much greater rate than those who weren't prayed for.
How do we, as Christians, understand what this means?
What kind of questions does a study like this raise?
3.
Read carefully 1 John 2:1. How does this verse help us
understand what it means to have Jesus as our Intercessor?
What does Christ do in that role? What other texts give us
information on this aspect of Christ's ministry?
S
UMMARY:
God, through Amos, continues to warn His people
of impending disaster, both in Amos's time and, in fact, in
ours, as well. Mixed with these warnings are also messages of
hope and promise.
70
"Dig Your Grave, Traitor!"
J. H. Zachary
"Dig your grave, traitor!" the soldiers barked at the terrified man
standing before them. Tep Cho Ruan stood within sight of the Thai I
border.
Am Ito die this close to freedom?
he wondered.
Tep had served four years in the Cambodian army in Vietnam. But
when Cambodian dictator Pol Pot ordered all intellectuals into forced
labor, he was not exempt. Thousands of Cambodians died or were
murdered in the months that followed.
Tep was assigned to herd cattle. Desperate for food, he risked his
life to secretly slaughter an animal to eat. If the authorities discovered
his deed, he would be killed.
Tep watched in horror as Pol Pot's soldiers killed entire families,
including small children. He saw many of his own family die at the
hands of the government. He knew that sooner or later his time to die
would come. He knew he must find a way to escape into Thailand.
In the dead of night he left his hut and began the long walk to the
Thai border and freedom. He knew that soldiers would be looking for
anyone who was trying to escape, and he managed to avoid them.
Then, when he was within sight of the border, Tep was caught.
As he took the shovel to begin digging his grave, he realized that in
a few minutes he would be dead. Fear, hopelessness, and discourage-
ment grew with every shovelful of earth. Suddenly gun shots rang out.
He expected to die any instant. But no bullet hit him. He looked up to
see his captors flee into the jungle, leaving him standing alone beside
the hole he had dug. He dropped the shovel and made a dash for
freedom.
At last he was free, assigned to a crowded refugee camp in Thai-
land. In that camp Tep learned about Jesus, the Son of God, who loved
humanity so much that He came to this earth to die for lost sinners.
This story was so different from the god he had worshiped. He joined
the Bible classes and gave his life to Christ. For the first time in his life
Tep's heart was filled with hope and love.
"I no longer hate Pol Pot for what he did to my family and to my
country," Tep says. "Since I met Jesus and learned that we are to love
our enemies, I have peace in my heart." Tep fled to Thailand to be free.
But it was not until he found Christ that he understood what real
freedom is. "My family and I have never been so happy."
J. H. Zachary is coordinator of international evangelism for The
Quiet Hour and a special consultant for the General Conference
Ministerial Association.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
11
Lesson 9
*November 24-30
Vision Two Judgment by
Fire
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Sabbath Afternoon
N
umerous texts depict an end-time fire, a retributive, destruc-
tive inferno that destroys sin and sinners. This cauldron of
pitch, brimstone, and ash is what we call "hell."
In fact, the only way to really understand hell is to realize that
Jesus Christ on the cross had, in a sense, been in that fire already for
us. At Calvary, Jesus went to "hell" so that none of us—who because
of our sins deserve it—would ever have to go there. Thus, however
terrible and frightful hell is—no one will suffer there worse than did
Jesus, the only One who, in fact, never even deserved it.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: The Bible uses numerous images of
fire, both as a means of punishment and as a means of purifica-
tion. What makes the difference? What happened to Jesus on the
Cross so that, ideally, everyone could be saved? What is the
ultimate fate of the wicked? As Seventh-day Adventists, we some-
times talk about the conditionality of prophecy. What does that
mean, and in what cases are prophecies conditional, and in what
cases are they not?
MEMORY TEXT: "Seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire
shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat?" (2 Peter 3:11, 12).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 1.)
72
Sunday
November 25
PUNISHMENT OR PURIFICATION (Amos 7:4-6).
"Behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire, and it de-
voured the great deep, and did eat up a part" (Amos 7:4).
/
n the second vision, instead of locusts, Amos evokes the image of
fire—a fire that came from God. It's not the only time, however,
that an Old Testament prophet has used this image to depict the
judgments of God.
"Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brim-
stone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" (Gen. 19:24).
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his
censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And
there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died
before the Lord (Lev. 10:1, 2).
"And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men
that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die,
neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring
unto all flesh" (Isa. 66:24).
Look up other texts in the Bible that deal with God using fire
as a judgment. And though the connotation in these cases is
always in the negative—that is, the fire is seen as something "bad"—
in what
ways
can the imagery of fire be used as something "good"?
Fire is a biblical image that evokes not just punishment but purifi-
cation, cleaning, refinement. "And Eleazar the priest said unto the
men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law
which the Lord commanded Moses; only the gold, and the silver, the
brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, every thing that may abide the
fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean:
nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all
that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water" (Num.
31:21-23). Look at how the fire is used in Isaiah 6, or in Malachi 3:1-
3. In these cases, fire is doing something different than in the first
examples.
Read 1 Peter 4:12. All of us, at some point in our lives, have
faced "fiery" trials that could purify us. We don't all have to
face, however, the fire of judgment, because Jesus, in a sense,
did that for us at the Cross. What happened at the Cross that
can spare us the judgment by fire that the Bible promises is
coming?
73
Monday
November 26
THE SECOND DEATH AT THE CROSS.
"He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21).
t the cross, Jesus died the "second death" (Rev. 20:14; 21:8).
It couldn't have been the first death, because all of us, Chris-
tians or non-Christians, face that death. Nothing Jesus did at
Calvary changes the fact that all of us will die or (as the Bible in
numerous places says it) "sleep." Instead, to spare us the "second
death"—the death by fire, the death that comes from God's righteous
indignation over sin—Jesus hung on the cross, because He Himself,
at the cross, suffered that second death in our stead.
Mark 15:34 reads: "At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being inter-
preted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" How do
we understand these words in light of what was happening to
Jesus?
"Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of
us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from
the condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam
was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the
terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled
the soul of His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been
publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father's mercy and
pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But
now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the
Father's reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance
from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart
with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great
was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt."—The
Desire
of Ages,
p. 753.
Take some time to dwell upon exactly what Jesus faced at the
Cross. Realize that the punishment for every sin ever commit-
ted—from
every
lustful look to the most vicious and violent
atrocities in history—fell upon Him so that, ideally, none of
those who committed these sins would have to face the final fire,
God's righteous judgment against those sins. Write down your
thoughts, particularly focusing upon the hope that Christ's death
should bring to each of us individually, knowing that the pun-
ishment for our sins has already been paid.
74
Tuesday
November 27
THE WICKED BURNED UP (Mal. 4:1, 3).
"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and
the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts,
that it shall leave them neither root nor branch" (Mal. 4:1).
H
owever wonderful the plan of salvation, however complete
and sufficient in and of itself was Christ's death on the cross,
the Bible makes it clear that not all will accept it. Because
they refused to grasp, by faith, Christ's death for them, untold multi-
tudes will have to face the punishment of their own sins.
Yet even here, God's love and mercy comes through; for unlike
the common notion that the lost will face conscious eternal torment
in hell, the weight of biblical evidence makes it clear that the destruc-
tion is eternal, not the
destroying—a
crucial difference.
If someone didn't have any preconceived notions about what
the Bible teaches regarding the ultimate fate of the lost, what
would the following verses tell them?
1.
Matt. 7:13
2.
John 3:16
3.
John 10:28
4.2 Thess. 1:9
God does not punish even the most wicked in an eternity of fire for
wrongdoings that took place in a limited period of time here on earth.
You would think that after a few billion years, even the worst sinner
would have paid his or her dues. Such a faulty understanding has led
many Christians to conclude that God is not loving. God's purpose
with hellfire is to destroy sin and its consequences in order for there to
be a new earth untarnished by evil. But before He destroys sin and
sinners, He gives everyone a chance to repent.
What's amazing is that even those who don't know the truth
about the ultimate fate of the wicked can still, even while believ-
ing the erroneous notion of eternal torment, love God anyway.
Imagine how much more they would love Him if they knew the
truth! Compare the two views, eternal torment and eternal de-
struction, and dwell upon just how different are the pictures of
God they paint.
75
Wednesday
November 28
THE LORD "REPENTS"—AGAIN: PART 1.
"Then said I, 0 Lord God, cease, I beseech thee: by whom shall
Jacob arise? for he is small. The Lord repented for this: This also
shall not be, saith the Lord God" (Amos 7:5, 6).
s in the previous vision, here, too, we have the same thing
repeated: Amos interceding before God and God "repenting,"
or "changing His mind" regarding the predicted destruction.
This notion brings up an interesting question: As we saw last week,
thanks to the intercession of some people, certain predictions have
been diverted or at least delayed. What we saw here was the condi-
tionality of these prophecies. The question then arises, Because
some prophecies appear to be conditional, are, then, all of them
conditional?
Look at the texts below. Which ones have an element of condi-
tionality to them, and which ones don't? In other words, which
deal with things that could possibly be changed by human ac-
tions, and which deal with the absolute certainties within God's
plan for humankind, certainties that cannot be changed by any-
thing that humans can do?
1.
Isa. 1:19, 20
2.
Isa. 38:1-22
3.
Jer. 18:7-10
4.
Mark 14:62
5.
Acts 1:11
6.
Rom. 14:10
7.2 Pet. 3:13
The above texts show the difference between prophecies, in
the sense that some do have an element of conditionality to
them. Their fulfillment depends upon human response. At the
same time, some prophecies seem to be absolute, with no possi-
bility of their being revoked.
What makes the difference?
76
Thursday
November 29
THE LORD REPENTS—AGAIN: PART 2.
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the
east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I
have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I
will also do it" (Isa. 46:10, 11).
y
esterday's lesson, based on Amos 7:5, touched on a topic of
vital interest to Seventh-day Adventists, a people who see
themselves not only as harbingers of a prophetic message but
actually as a prophetic people themselves, a people whom the proph-
ets dreamed and wrote about (See Rev. 12:17; 14:12).
This topic is, of course, the nature of prophecy. Adventists have
understood that many prophecies are conditional, that they will hap-
pen according to how those who hear the messages respond. Time
and again, for instance, the Lord warned Israel of the calamities that
would come if they didn't obey Him. If they did obey, the prophetic
warnings would not come to pass. This is seen, for instance, in Amos
(after all, why would the Lord bother to warn the Hebrews to turn
from their sins if there were no hope that their actions would avert the
coming calamity?). (See also Deuteronomy 28.)
The question, however, is this: Is all prophecy—including those
about final judgment, a new heaven and a new earth, or the Second
Coming—conditional? Can anything human change the inevitability
of these prophecies?
In the short term, human actions do seem to have a role in how
prophetic events unfold. In the long term, however, in the grand
scheme of things, God's sovereignty always overrules. Though as
humans we are given free will, and free will determines our destiny
(and even in some cases the destiny of others), God is ultimately in
control, in the sense that His final purposes for ending sin and
rebellion will be fulfilled. None of the end-time prophecies that deal
with the grand climactic events of the great controversy appear to be
conditional. On the grand scale of things, in which the ultimate
issues are involved, God's transcendence and power completely over-
rule human machinations and plans.
Christ's first coming was not conditional. Nor is the Second
Coming. What's conditional is our response to them. How we
respond will have eternal consequences. How crucial, then, that
we use our free will to make decisions that will impact us in
regard to the inevitable.
77
Friday
November 30
FURTHER STUDY: Who makes the final decision about the destiny
of the wicked?
T
he destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their
exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just
and merciful on the part of
God."—Last Day Events,
pp. 279,
280.
"But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God's
purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the
great darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham
the bondage of Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their
sojourning should be four hundred years. 'Afterward,' He said, 'shall
they come out with great substance.' Gen.
15:14.
Against that word,
all the power of Pharaoh's proud empire battled in vain. On 'the
self-same day' appointed in the divine promise, 'it came to pass, that
all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.' Ex. 12:41.
So in heaven's council the hour for the coming of Christ had been
determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus
was born in Bethlehem."—The
Desire of Ages,
p. 32.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
We often tend to look at trials as methods of purification,
thus having some redemptive value. At the same time, how
do we explain trials that seem to contain no redemptive
value for anyone? For example, a baby starving to death in
a famine would (at least as far as the baby is concerned),
have no redemptive value. How do we understand, as Chris-
tians, tragedies like this? Or what about tragedies that, far
from purifying people, instead make them angry, bitter,
and hateful, especially toward God?
2.
Discuss more this idea that Christ died the "second death"
at the Cross. How does His dying that death offer us the
chance to be spared it?
3.
Why would some prophecies be conditional and some not?
Why would God overrule in some
cases
and in others allow
human actions to determine the outcome?
S
UMMARY:
God threatened to punish Israel by a judgment of
intense fire. When the prophet Amos appealed to the Lord not
to do so, God told him that He would not do it. However, the
time will come in the last moments of history when the earth and
everything in it will be burned up to prepare the way for God's
creation of a new earth wherein righteousness dwells.
78
Aft.
Please Don't Come!
Dorothy Eaton Watts
Saroja (sah-ROH-ja) and Sonal (SOH-nal) Joseph returned to their
home town in Maharashtra, India, after an accident resulted in the
amputation of Sonal's leg. The couple settled down and started a goat
farm. Then they began looking for a church home. But they could not
find one where they felt comfortable. "Please, God, help us to find a
church where the people believe as we do," they prayed.
Sonal's mother, an Adventist, invited the couple to visit her church.
"But you will have to come on Saturday," she said. Saroja and Sonal
decided to give the Adventist church a try.
The couple enjoyed the simplicity of the service, which reminded
Saroja of the mission where she grew up. Saroja and Sonal returned to
the church the next week, and soon they felt quite comfortable with
this simple congregation who worshiped on Saturday.
One Sabbath the pastor greeted them after church and offered to
come to their home and give them Bible studies.
"No, please don't come," Saroja responded. "We are much too
busy. We don't need to study the Bible. We will just continue coming
to church every Saturday. That is enough."
But the pastor showed up at their home that week anyway. "Just
give me two minutes," he said, smiling. Saroja and Sonal agreed, but
as they began talking about religion, the couple had so many questions
that he stayed all day, and the busy couple got no work done.
"Please don't come any more, pastor," they told him as he left. "We
are much too busy with on our goat farm. We cannot take this kind of
time to study with you."
But the next week the pastor came back again, this time with some
books for them to read. "OK, we'll read the books," Sonal said,
thanking him for his gift. "But please don't come anymore!"
But the pastor continued to come, and soon they began regular
Bible studies. Sonal and Saroja discovered that the Bible had answers
to many of the questions that had plagued them. Finally the couple
decided they must not only attend the church on Sabbath, but they
should become members and help spread the message of truth they
had found.
The couple has formed a musical group that travels throughout
Maharashtra State, sharing their love for God and their testimonies.
Finally, they have time!
Dorothy Eaton Watts is associate secretary of the Southern Asia
Division.
Produced by the Office of
Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conferen
Email: gomission@gc.adventistorg
79
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Lesson 10
*December 1-7
Vision Three The Plumb
Line
Sabbath Afternoon
M
ARTIN LUTHER TOLD THE STORY
of a nobleman
who took a man prisoner. When the prisoner's wife came to
ransom her husband, the nobleman said if she would lie
with him, he'd let her husband go. Though virtuous, she agreed, but
after she had lain with him, the nobleman killed her husband and
gave her the corpse. She took her case to Duke Charles of Burgundy,
who commanded the nobleman to marry the woman. After the mar-
riage, the Duke had the nobleman beheaded, gave the woman his
property, and restored her to honor.
Luther's point was that, at times, justice goes beyond law books and
rules. As you read this week's lesson, we'll see promises of an even
better form of justice.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Why, unlike the previous two
visions, does Amos not plead for a reprieve of God's justice here?
What standard of righteousness would Israel be judged by? What
was the only way Israel could have the righteousness it needed to
meet this standard? How does the situation presented here prefig-
ure, to some degree, the close of probation? Can we view the close
of probation in positive terms? If so, how?
MEMORY TEXT: "He said unto me, Thou must prophesy again
before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. And
there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood,
saying Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and
them that worship therein" (Revelation 10:11-11:1).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 8.)
80
Sunday
December 2
THE LORD HOLDS A PLUMB LINE.
"He shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall
made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the
Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A
plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline
in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them
any more" (Amos
7:7, 8).
/
n this, the third vision, a shift occurs: Instead of images of locusts
and fire, Amos sees a "plumbline"—a device for making walls
straight, or perpendicular to the ground. The plumb line is "an
instrument used by builders to make their work even and perpendicu-
lar. Evidently the 'plumbline' symbolizes the Lord's examination of
the conduct of Israel."—The
SDA Bible Commentary,
vol. 4, p. 977.
The Lord gave a different message here than in the first two
visions. In those the Lord "repented" concerning the forecasted doom;
now, however, the Lord says very clearly what will happen, with no
conditionality attached.
Read verses 8 and 9 of Amos 7. What does the Lord say will
occur to Israel? Notice, too, that Amos does not make an appeal
for mercy, as in the previous visions. Though we can only specu-
late, why didn't Amos attempt, again, to intercede for these
people?
The Lord set a plumb line "To see whether the wall meets the
specifications. Israel, of course, fell short of the divine require-
ments and would be rejected. . . . Israel's continued adherence to
evil offers no hope of her repentance, and so the prophet inter-
cedes no more. The northern kingdom must experience conquest
by Assyria, and be led into captivity."—The
SDA Bible Commen-
tary, vol.
4, p. 977.
Perhaps, the Lord's words in verses 7 and 8 let Amos know that
the Israelites would not repent, which is why he presents no hope. At
this point, the message seems similar to the words of Jesus, when He
wept over Jerusalem. See Matthew 23:37-39.
Compare the three visions in Amos with Matthew 23:37-39.
What spiritual lessons can we learn? Focus, not so much on the
negative aspect (though that certainly can't be ignored) but on
what these texts
say
about God's mercy and desire for us to turn
to Him for salvation and righteousness. Do they show us a pic-
ture of a God who is looking for ways to punish or to
save?
81
Monday
December 3
PLUMB-LINE RIGHTEOUSNESS.
"Lead me, 0 Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine en-
emies; make thy way straight before my face" (Ps. 5:8).
T
he plumb line was used to keep the wall of the city straight.
Time and again in the Hebrew Bible, the concept of being
"straight" or "upright" is depicted to show how the Lord
wanted His people to be. At times the word is even translated "right-
eous," such as in Numbers 23:10: "Who can count the dust of Jacob,
and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of
the
righteous
[from the word that means "straight" or "upright"], and
let my last end be like his!" In numerous other texts, the word for
"upright" is used in a manner parallel in meaning to "righteous" (see
Ps. 11:7; 32:11; Ps. 33:1). Thus, by not only revealing a plumb line
but by setting it in the "midst of my people Israel" (Amos 7:8), the
Lord was, in a sense, setting before His people the divine standard by
which they were to be judged.
The plumb line appears, then, to be a standard of righteous-
ness used for measurement by a God of justice. Israel was to be
measured against this standard. Look up these texts and notice
the parallel concepts depicted here to what's happening in Amos:
1.
Ezek. 40:3
2.
Zech. 2:1, 2
3.Rev.11:1,2
Ultimately, if we are to be measured against a standard of right-
eousness set up by God Himself, none of us, in and of ourselves, could
ever stand. Even Israel itself, if having to face a "plumb line" set in its
midst, would be judged unfavorably. In the end, therefore, Israel's
only hope had to be in the perfect righteousness of God credited to
them by faith, a faith that would have been revealed in their works.
What seems to be happening here, then, is that Israel is facing destruc-
tion because she has lost her faith in God and thus has lost the
covering of His righteousness, the only righteousness that could be
measured against the plumb line.
Imagine having to stand before God and be judged by how
well you compared to His righteousness! What, then, is your
only hope in that judgment? Whose righteousness do you need,
and what is the only way to get it?
82
Tuesday
December 4
ISRAEL FAR OUT OF LINE.
"I will make Samaria as an heap of the field, and as plantings
of a vineyard: and I will pour down the stones thereof into the
valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof" (Mic. 1:6).
/
n this third vision, the Lord first says that He will judge Israel,
and then He will punish the nation for their sins. He says that "I
will not again pass by them anymore" (Amos 7:8). Verse 9 then
describes how desolate Israel will become as a result of this judgment.
What spiritual lesson can we learn from these tragedies?
1.
The high places shall be desolate
(see
Jer. 2:20; Hos. 4:13).
Ordinarily, these idolatrous shrines were built on the highest point
available in their neighborhood. Deuteronomy 7:5 and 33:29 indicate
that God wanted such high places destroyed by the Israelites; Amos
here seems to indicate that, far from destroying them, the Israelites
had built their own. Since they wouldn't tear them down, the Lord
would do so Himself, using pagans as the means of doing it.
2.
The sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
These were centers of idol worship at Gilgal, Dan, and Bethel.
3.
"I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword."
Because of Jehu's apostasy, Jehovah had said that Jehu's descendants
would reign unto the fourth generation (2 Kings 10:30). After the
death of Jeroboam, his son Zechariah—the fourth generation—served
six months and was slain (2 Kings 15:12). This fulfilled the promise of
Jehovah and brought an end to the dynasty of Jehu.
Notice in Amos 7:9, the Lord says, "I will rise with the sword
against the house of Jeroboam" (NKJV). This is not the first
time in Scripture the Lord specifically says that He will bring
desolation and punishment upon His wayward people. It has
happened time and again. Is this something that God does
directly Himself, or does He allow this destruction to come by
not intervening or giving divine protection? Or does it even
matter? If so, why? Find examples to support whichever posi-
tion you take.
83
Wednesday
December 5
THE LAND AND THE WORDS.
"Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of
Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of
the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words"
(Amos 7:10).
T
he philosopher George Santayana famously said, "Those who
forget history are
doomed
to repeat it." Notice, he used the
verb doomed, expressing the notion that history has not been
something so pleasant that one would like to go through it again.
In this particular case, an interesting principle appears, one that
does have a long, sad, and bloody history. Amos speaks words the
religious leaders don't like to hear. So what's the first thing they do?
They go to the political leaders and try and get them to use force to
stop those who were not preaching the party line.
What examples of this principle can you find in Scripture?
Write down the verses where this same thing happens. What
lessons can we learn from this about the danger of politics and
religion being too intricately mixed?
1.
2.
3.
Think, too, of incidents outside of the Bible where religious
leaders have gone to political ones to stop those who were preach-
ing what they didn't want to hear.
Notice, too, the words of Amaziah, "the priest of Bethel," who
says that "the land is not able to bear all his words." That's an
interesting way of phrasing it. Of course, it's not the land itself that
can't bear his words but the people who don't want to hear what he's
saying; yet, that's not what the priest said. Instead, he tried to make it
sound as if Amos's words were, in fact, hurting the land itself.
Why so often, when rebuked, when presented with words
that we don't want to hear, do we resort to whatever we can to
deflect them from ourselves, as did Amaziah? What do we need
to do in order to prevent ourselves from falling into this trap,
especially if the words are justly spoken?
84
Thursday
December 6
THE CLOSE OF PROBATION.
/
is natural to see in the situation presented here in Amos a
parallel to the close of probation. Though we shouldn't press the
analogy too far, there is a parallel: After repeated messages and
plenty of opportunity to repent, judgment is finally rendered. In this
case, however, it's not particularly a favorable judgment.
The problem, however, with that analogy is that when probation
does close, many will have made the right choices, in contrast to what
seems to be happening here in Amos, where it seems almost all the
nation is doomed.
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still" (Rev. 22:11). There
are two classes depicted in these texts. Some, clearly, have made
the right choices; others, just as clearly, haven't. What makes the
crucial difference between the two?
It's very easy to paint a picture of the close of probation in very
negative terms; and, no doubt, for those who make the wrong choices,
it will be a sad time. Yet we need to understand the close of probation
as the time when many will have made the right choice, a choice that
once and for all will be finalized by God Himself. In a sense, the idea
of "once-saved-always-saved" becomes true: once probation closes,
and we have made our choice for Christ—we can never be lost. That
is good news made even better!
Because we can die at any time, and probation does close at
death, how crucial that we be right with God every day. And what
is the only way we can be "right with God" at any time?
The close of probation must be seen in light of the cross, where
Jesus, with His blood, purchased the soul of every human being;
otherwise it can be presented very negatively. Sure, it's a very solemn
time, as the eternal destiny of souls is weighed in the balance. Yet we
must remember that God is seeking to bring as many as possible into
His eternal kingdom and that through His death Jesus made it possible
for everyone, no matter how bad, to have that eternal life.
How do you help someone who's fearful of the concept of the
close of probation? What can you say to give this person assur-
ance and hope that this can be a glorious time for those who
truly walk with their Savior and Lord?
85
Friday
December 7
F
URTHER STUDY:
"The destruction that befell the northern
kingdom was a direct judgment from Heaven. The Assyrians
were merely the instruments that God used to carry out His
purpose. Through Isaiah, who began to prophesy shortly before the
fall of Samaria, the Lord referred to the Assyrian hosts as 'the rod of
Mine anger.'. . . Isaiah 10:5.
"It was because [Israel] had . . . refused steadfastly to repent, that
the Lord 'afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoil-
ers, until He had cast them out of His sight."'
"In the terrible judgments brought upon the ten tribes the Lord had
a wise and merciful purpose. That which He could no longer do
through them in the land of their fathers He would seek to accom-
plish by scattering them among the heathen. His plan for the salva-
tion of all who should choose to avail themselves of pardon through
the Saviour of the human race must yet be fulfilled; and in the
afflictions brought upon Israel, He was preparing the way for His
glory to be revealed to the nations of earth. Not all who were carried
captive were impenitent. Among them were some who had remained
true to God, and others who had humbled themselves before Him.
Through these, 'the sons of the living God' (Hosea 1:10), He would
bring multitudes in the Assyrian realm to a knowledge of the at-
tributes of His character and the beneficence of His
law."—Prophets
and Kings,
pp. 291, 292.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
How do we understand the concept of God's justice? In
other words, because human concepts of justice so widely
differ, how do we transcend our cultures and political envi-
ronments in order to try and understand the justice of
God? Or can we? Maybe because we can't, God's justice at
times seems so hard to understand. Discuss.
2.
At the close of probation our choice as to whether or not we
served God is finalized. What does that mean? Do we have
to be perfect to serve God? Do we have to be perfect to be
saved when probation closes? If so, where is the perfection
found, and how can we claim it as our own? Can we be
deemed perfect and still struggle with sin?
S
UMMARY:
The last king of Israel was Hoshea. He usurped
the throne after slaying Pekah. Following Shalmaneser's con-
quest of Samaria, Hoshea was taken captive, and Israel's doom
was sealed. This close of probation for Israel points to the time when
probation will be closed, not only for nations but also for every
individual living on earth.
86
The Unseen Companion
Darryl Famisaran
The student missionaries from Lapangon Mission School in south-
ern Philippines needed to go to town to buy some goods. The roads in
this area are so rugged and out of the way that automobiles are scarce.
However, motorbikes take their place, and often the drivers pile four
or even five passengers onto one motorbike.
The three student missionaries from Mountain View College stood
beside the road to ask God's protection as they traveled. Then they
stopped a motorbike and put themselves on the bike. They braced
their feet securely on the foot rests, and held onto one another tightly
as the bike bounced along the bumpy road. Riding a motorbike on
these roads is never comfortable. And the students, members of the
Manobo tribe, who are more used to climbing the mountains than
riding through them, found the ride quite uncomfortable. But they had
little choice, for they had to get to the city and back before dark.
When the motorbike finally reached town, each of the boys gave
the driver his fare. The driver seemed dissatisfied and waited for more
money. "Is there any problem?" the boys asked.
"Yes," the driver said, "You have given enough for three people,
but there were four of you."
The students looked at each other and said, "No, there are just the
three of us."
"No, the fourth one, dressed in white, got off the bike first and
went on ahead. Did you not see him disappear around that curve?" he
asked, pointing to the nearest bend in the road. "He seemed to be in a
hurry. I know there were four of you when we left. I would not have
driven this far for only three of you."
Again the student missionaries explained that there were only three
of them, but the driver insisted that there were four and demanded the
pay for the fourth person.
As the motorbike driver drove off, the three student missionaries
looked at each other in amazement. Then they remembered that they
had asked God to send His angel to protect them on their journey.
They stopped and bowed their heads again and thanked God for
allowing the driver to see the angel that God had sent.
Darryl Famisaran is director of the Sulads, student missionary
program at Mountain View College in southern Philippines.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
87
Lesson 11
*December 8-14
Vision Four Summer
Fruit
Sabbath Afternoon
AMOS 8 GOES FROM ONE THEME TO ANOTHER.
First, it
deals with the question of bearing fruit, then it touches on those who
have all the religious forms without any of the spirit that should
animate those forms; a problem, perhaps, for Christians in all eras
and all times. Next it brings up an interesting question about salvation,
that of forgiven sins that are no longer forgiven. Then it touches on the
issues in the final conflict before the end of the world.
And, finally, it delves into the concept of there being a "famine" in
the land for hearing the "words of the Lord." It's an interesting
week's worth of lessons. Dig out what you can. Though we certainly
aren't going to cover all that could be said on these topics, you'll
certainly leave with a few things to think and pray about.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Why is the image of fruit used to
describe human character? Can we be keeping all the rules and
regulations of our religion and yet miss the most important point
about it? What does it mean that the Lord will "forget" all our
sins? What does it mean that He will "remember" them? What
does the Bible mean when it talks about a "famine" for "the
words of the Lord"? Can we be in a land of plenty and still be in
dire need of the Word?
MEMORY TEXT: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord
God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of
bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the
Lord" (Amos 8:11).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 15.)
88
Sunday
December 9
BY THEIR FRUITS.
"Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket
of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said,
A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is
come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any
more. And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day,
saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every
place; they shall cast them forth with silence" (Amos 8:1-3).
What kind of fruit is talked about here?
E
arly maturing fruit, used especially of 'figs.' The purpose of
this vision was to show that the people were ripe for judgment,
that God's forbearance was at an end. The divine long-suffer-
ing had resulted only in the continuance of Israel's
sin."—The SDA
Bible Commentary, vol.
4, p. 979.
Look up each of the following texts. How does each one use the
imagery of fruit to make its point?
1.
Matt. 3:10
2.
Matt. 7:17
3.
Matt. 13:26
4.
Luke 6:44
5.
John 12:24
6.
Rom. 7:4
7.
Gal. 5:22
Notice how fruit is used in a dynamic manner, in that it represents
something in the process of change, of maturity, of ripeness, even
decay. Fruit can be sweet and wonderful, or rank and rotten. No
wonder it's used in Scripture in this manner to describe human
beings and their actions.
In the context of today's lesson, read John 15:5 and ask
yourself, What kind of fruit am I bearing, and why? At the
same time, what's the danger of looking at our own fruit in
determining our standing with God? How can we strike a good
balance?
89
Monday
December 10
SWALLOWING THE NEEDY AFTER SABBATH.
"Hear this, 0 ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the
poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone,
that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth
wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsify-
ing the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver,
and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the
wheat?" (Amos 8:4-6).
T
hese verses reek with one of the greatest and most common
spiritual deceptions ever conjured up in Satan's brew of de-
monic deceptions: religious formalism cloaking abuse of the
most basic religious principles. No doubt these people felt spiritually
superior to those who didn't keep the Sabbath or observe the feasts as
strictly as they did. After all, because they were observing these reli-
gious festivals, these folk thought they were holy and thus didn't need to
worry about little things like honesty, greed, or helping the poor.
"The first day of the month . . . was devoted to religious
service, and apparently was a day on which all trade was
suspended. . . . Here is a striking example of a formal
observance of sacred institutions, with no true spirit of
devotion. In their selfishness these apostates begrudged
the time their religious formalism demanded of them.
Such worship becomes a curse instead of a blessing."
—The SDA Bible Commentary,
vol. 4, p. 980.
These people wanted the Sabbath to end so they could immediately
get back to cheating their customers. How intrusive of the Sabbath to
interfere with their fraud! The irony is that when one understands the
true meaning of the Sabbath, when one truly keeps the Sabbath as
God intended, it's hard to imagine that person going out and cheat-
ing people, especially the poor.
Give an example from the New Testament where Jesus had to
confront this same problem. How did He respond?
What is it about the Sabbath that, if properly kept and under-
stood, would protect a Sabbath keeper from doing exactly what
God condemns here in Amos? In other words, what is the Sab-
bath all about, and why would understanding what it is about
protect us from falling into these same sins?
90
Tuesday
December 11
"SURELY I WILL NEVER FORGET."
"Surely I will never forget any of their works" (Amos 8:7).
T
his verse is amazing, terrible in severity, yet painfully accurate
in depicting basic biblical truth regarding salvation. In the
end, either all our sins are forgiven, forgotten, and obliterated,
or they will come back to haunt and condemn us. Either we face none
of the legal penalties for our sins or we face the full brunt of them all.
Either we walk away totally free from the legal consequences of our
sin, or we are destroyed under the oppressive weight of their conse-
quences. Either God "forgets" all our sins, or He "remembers" them
all. There's no middle ground, no plea bargain, no compromise.
Compare what God is saying in Amos 8:7 with what He's
saying in these verses: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy
transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy
sins" (Isa. 43:25). "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more"
(Heb. 8:12). "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more"
(Heb. 10:17).
In the above verses, God promises to "forget" their sins, the idea
being that their sins will no longer be factored into how He regards
these people. These words are basically a poetic way of saying that
when God forgives our sins, He forgives them completely, even to the
point where He no longer "remembers" them. This is what happens
when we are saved by Jesus Christ, when His righteousness becomes
ours by faith.
On the other hand, what Amos 8:7 is talking about is, in a sense,
what happens to those who don't have the righteousness of Jesus
covering them. The parable that Jesus told in Matthew 18 about the
unforgiving servant reveals this principle: We are either forgiven all
our sins, or we must face the penalty for all our sins. Either we have
complete pardon or complete condemnation. Either our salvation is
total, or our ruin is total.
Study the parable of Matthew 18 regarding the fate of the
servant who had his debt forgiven (vs. 27) but then ultimately
lost that forgiveness. Some people have a hard time with this
concept, that of the nullification of a debt canceled; yet, that
seems to be what the parable says. How do we understand that
in light of the Cross and what Christ accomplished at the cross?
91
Wednesday
December 12
THE BITTER DAY (Amos 8:9).
"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that
I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the
earth in the clear day" (Amos 8:9).
A
description of the day of the Lord follows in verse 9: '"On
that day,' says the Lord God, 'I will make the sun go down at
noon'" (RSV). Amos, living in Palestine, saw the sun go down
at noon on the day of the Lord. Ellen White, nearly three millennia
later and on the other side of the world, was given a vision, described
in
The Great Controversy,
page 636, in which she saw the sun come
up at midnight when God intervenes in world history to deliver His
people.
How does the phrase "in that day" point to the final judgment
prefigured by Israel's day of judgment?
(See
the use of this
phrase in such last-day prophecies as Isa. 4:1; 12:1, 4; Joel 3:1,
18).
In Amos 8:9, the prophet foretells events that will take place long
after his time. Verses 9 and 10 point to the second coming of Christ
in the day of final judgment.
Compare Amos 8:10, which applied originally to the gloom and
lamentation in Israel at the fall of Samaria, to Revelation 18:9-19,
which describes the mourning of the entire world at the time of
God's judgment on last-day Babylon.
"When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is a
terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of
life. While probation continued they were blinded by Satan's decep-
tions, and they justified their course of sin. The rich prided them-
selves upon their superiority to those who were less favored; but they
had obtained their riches by violation of the law of God. . . . Now
they are stripped of all that made them great and are left destitute and
defenseless. They look with terror upon the destruction of the idols
which they preferred before their Maker. . . . The rich bemoan the
destruction of their grand houses, the scattering of their gold and
silver. . . .
"The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sinful
neglect of God and their fellow men, but because God has con-
quered."—The
Great Controversy,
p. 654.
92
Thursday
December 13
FAINTING FOR THIRST.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but
of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to
sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to
seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11, 12).
T
he implications of these verses are staggering. People seeking
the "word of the Lord" and yet not able to find it? How could
the God who wants us all in heaven so badly that He died on
the cross allow a time when those who seek the "word" can be in a
position where they can't find it? What's going on here?
Read John 12:35. What is Jesus saying that could help
us
understand the meaning of Amos 8:11, 12?
Whatever the exact meaning of the those texts in Amos, particularly
in the context of last-day events, there's an important principle appli-
cable to our immediate situation now. We can, through continually
filling our minds with junk, get to the point where the "word of the
Lord" has no meaning to us. We can become so dull, so insensitive to
spiritual truths, that when we hear them they can't penetrate our minds
and hearts. That's why what we read, what we watch, and what we
think about can deaden us to truth so that the effect is no different upon
us than if we, in fact, didn't have access to "the Word of God."
"Those who do not now appreciate, study, and dearly prize the
Word of God spoken by His servants will have cause to mourn bitterly
hereafter. I saw that the Lord in judgment will at the close of time
walk through the earth; the fearful plagues will begin to fall. Then
those who have despised God's Word, those who have lightly es-
teemed it, shall 'wander . . . to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord
and shall not find it' (Amos 8:12).
"—Last Day Events,
pp. 234, 235.
The Christian life is a dynamic life: It's always in the process
of change. We can never remain static, for remaining static is
another way of saying we are not growing, and if we're not
growing, we are, truly, moving backward. Keeping this concept
in mind, it is crucial that we be constantly advancing in our
walk with Christ. What do these verses in Amos say to us, today,
regarding our growth in Christ? Can there be a "famine" for
the Word even if we have a Bible in our home, or even in our
hands? Think this through and ask yourself, Can we be starv-
ing, even in a land of plenty?
93
Friday
December 14
F
URTHER STUDY:
Read chapter 37 in
The Great Controversy,
"The Scriptures a Safeguard."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Look once more at Matthew 18, the story of the ungrateful
servant. Can you see how it, in an indirect manner, is
linked to the investigative judgment? In other words, dur-
ing the judgment, our decision as to whether or not we are
serving Christ is, once and for all, finalized. If we, by faith,
have Christ's righteousness covering us, then, as Jesus says,
"I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will
confess his name before my Father, and before his angels"
(Rev.
3:5).
On the other hand, if we are not converted, then
it would appear that our names are blotted out and Jesus
doesn't confess us before the Father and the angels. What
Matthew 18 implies, then, is that we can indeed lose our
salvation. See if you can find other verses that give the idea
that we can reject our salvation. At the same time, see if
you can find some verses that seem to say the opposite. How
can we synthesize them so that we come to a balanced
understanding of this important truth?
2.
Read the last clause of Matthew 10:22, about how those
enduring to the end will be saved, particularly in the con-
text of the previous question. What added information does
verse 22 give regarding this important issue?
3.
Going back to the lesson on Monday, which dealt with
those who kept religious forms but were totally devoid of
the spirit of devotion behind those forms, read this quote by
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel about the Sabbath: On
this day, humankind "must say farewell to manual work
and learn to understand that the world has already been
created and will survive without the help of man. Six days a
week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the
earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed planted
in the souls. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs
to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the
world, on the seventh we try to dominate the self."—Abraham
Joshua Heschel,
The Sabbath
(New York: Farrar, Straus,
Giroux, 1983), p. 13. How could these sentiments help free
people from the sins that Amos was talking about in Amos
8:4-6?
94
Decision in the River, Part 1
Maria Antonieta de las Mufiecas
Celedonio [sel-eh-DOH-nee-oh] swam hard against the swollen
river's current. His arms ached from fatigue, but he dared not stop, lest
the current carry him away. Alone and frightened, he searched for a
sandbar where he could rest. As he struggled to stay afloat, a sense of
helplessness swept over him. All he could do was pray. Then his feet
touched the gravel edge of the sandbar. He dragged himself out of the
water and lay on the sand, shivering and utterly exhausted.
When Celedonio's parents died, he went to live with his brother
and sister. Two years later his brother died, leaving Celedonio and his
sister alone. He experienced a series of illnesses that left him weak and
in pain. He prayed to his favorite saint for healing and made promises
and offered sacrifices to her, hoping to receive her blessing. But his
symptoms did not go away. Still the young man refused to give up. He
began searching for God in other churches, but all the different de-
nominations confused him.
Then he met Luis, the pastor of a Protestant church. Luis taught him
how to pray directly to God in the name of Jesus. When Celedonio
prayed as Luis taught him, he began to feel better.
Luis asked Celedonio to go with him to find work. The two men left
their families behind and traveled to central Bolivia, where they had
heard work was available. They found a job planting crops beside a
wide river. Every evening they crossed the river in a canoe to the town
where they stayed.
One evening no canoe came to take them across the river. It was
almost sundown, and the men had to get across before dark. They
surveyed the rain-swollen river and decided they could swim across.
They put their clothes and their valuables into a plastic bag, which
Celedonio tied to his waist. Then they jumped into the river.
Celedonio swam hard against the river's current. But the plastic bag
dragged in the water, slowing him down. He looked around for Luis, but
he could not see his friend anywhere. Celedonio feared he would not
make it across the river. Exhausted, he struggled to stay afloat. He found
himself praying, praying for forgiveness, as well as for safety. Suddenly
the current swept the plastic bag containing all of his belongings from
his waist. A sense of helplessness swept over him. Then his feet touched
gravel. He dragged himself onto the sandbar and collapsed, shivering
and utterly exhausted. For the moment at least, he was safe.
(Continued next week.)
Maria Antonieta de las Muriecas is a Global Mission worker in
Portachuela, Bolivia.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
95
Lesson 12
*December 15-21
Vision Five No Escape for
the Lost
Sabbath Afternoon
I
N SHAKESPEARE'S
HAMLET,
young Hamlet sneaks into the
king's bedroom with the intent of avenging his father, whom the
king had murdered. Approaching the king, who was on his knees
praying—Hamlet suddenly changes his mind, thinking that he doesn't
want to kill a man when he's praying and thus is "fit and seasoned for
his passage to heaven." "A villain kills my father," Hamlet muses,
"and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven"?
Whatever Shakespeare's theological inadequacies (not to mention
his lack of knowledge regarding the state of the dead), the bigger
point here is—revenge. All of us, at times, like Hamlet, have har-
bored feelings of revenge, because all of us, at times, have been
unjustly treated or have seen or known of great and terrible acts of
injustice that have gone unpunished.
As you read this week's lesson, however, realize that in the end
God sees and knows all things, including (maybe even especially)
those terrible acts that have not yet been answered for and that, in the
end, we have to trust Him and His perfect justice for what we, or any
human system, can never do.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: Does God tolerate sin, or is He
merely patient with it? What comfort, if any, can we draw from
the promise that the Lord will, in the end, execute final judg-
ment? What happened at the Cross that can spare us the punish-
ment that we deserve for our sins?
MEMORY TEXT: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the
Lord! to what end is it for you? " Amos 5:18.
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 22.)
96
Sunday
December 16
THE LORD STANDING AT THE ALTAR.
"I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the
lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the
head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword:
he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that
escapeth of
them shall not be delivered" (Amos 9:1).
T
he Lord is standing at the altar. Which altar? Though com-
mentators aren't in total agreement, more than likely, it's the
one at Bethel, where the Israelites centered their idolatrous
worship. Whichever altar, however, one thing is sure: God's righteous
judgment is about to fall on an unrighteous people.
What point does the Lord seem to be making in Amos 9:1?
One truth that comes through while reading the Bible is that God
does not, in any way, tolerate sin. How could a perfectly righteous
and holy God tolerate it, or even accept it? He, of course, does
neither.
Instead—God is
patient
with sin. That's a crucial distinction.
Patience is not the same as toleration or acceptance. On the contrary.
Ultimately, God will utterly obliterate sin from the universe forever.
His problem, however, is how to get rid of sin without getting rid of
those who have committed it. Here is where the Cross comes in, for at
Calvary God was able to punish sin without punishing the sinner.
What happened at the Cross that will enable God to, ulti-
mately, destroy sin but not sinners?
Unfortunately, not every sinner will be saved from his or her sins.
The situation in Amos hints at this sad but stark reality. In the end,
every sin will be punished; the crucial question is, Who ultimately
faces that punishment? Through the Cross, God made a way for us to
escape that punishment ourselves, but only if we accept it. If not,
punishment will fall upon us. This is what's happening here in
Amos, at least on a small scale. Despite repeated attempts to turn
sinners away from their sin, they have chosen to remain in that sin.
Thus, in the end, when sin is destroyed, they will be, as well.
Read Matthew 25:41. What does Jesus tell us here about
whom final punishment had originally been created for? Was it
for humans? If not, what does that tell us about God's desire for
us to be saved?
97
Monday
December 17
NO HIDING PLACE: PART 1 (Amos 9:2-4).
"Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them;
though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down"
(Amos 9:2).
H
owever frightening these words, in one sense they should also
bring relief, because they reflect a crucial idea: In the end,
justice will be done—God's justice. Thus, however much iniq-
uity abounds, however much injustice we see now, those who perpe-
trate it will, if not now, one day have to answer for it. This promise
should give us hope and comfort, particularly those who have suf-
fered under the hands of oppressors who seem not to have faced any
consequences for their deeds.
What do the following verses all have in common?
Ps. 37:10
Ps. 37:38
Luke 13:28
Heb. 10:30
Rev. 20:13-15
Our God
is a God of justice; justice may seem delayed, at least to
us, but that's only because we are so limited in our understanding of
how God is working through all the issues in the great controversy.
For now, though there is much we don't understand, we need to daily
surrender ourselves to the Lord, who has given us so many reasons to
trust Him in the things that now appear so hard to comprehend. No
doubt, too, the more we dwell on what we do understand, the more we
concentrate on what is clear, we will better be able to endure and trust
Him in the things that, for the moment, seem so unfair and unjust.
Hector's family had suffered great persecution for their faith.
Often he thought about revenge. Only after he, himself, made a
total surrender to Christ did those feelings start to dissipate. In
fact, over time, he even found himself starting to pray for those
who had treated his family so badly, even praying that they
would be spared the judgment that God would eventually bring
upon them because of their sins. Why must we learn to leave the
final judgment to God?
98
Tuesday
December 18
NO HIDING PLACE: PART 2.
"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
and his ears are
open unto their cry" (Ps. 34:15).
/
saac Newton, as a young man, formulated one of the most basic
laws of motion: "For every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction." In other words, no matter how hard you push your hand
against the ground, the ground is pushing back against your hand just
as hard.
This principle, in a sense, applies to the spiritual realm as well.
Amos 9:1-4 shows that the wicked cannot escape the judgments of
God; that no matter where they go, the Lord, who is all-knowing and
all-seeing, will find them.
Yet this works in the reverse, as well, like Newton's law. God knows
us, knows our particular situation, knows our pains, our sorrows, our
fears. If those who want to hide from the Lord can't, how much more can
those who seek Him, His help, His promises, and His assurances be sure
that the Lord, though we can't see Him, sees us in our trials?
Look up these
verses.
What promises are contained in them?
Ask yourself how you can, even now claim them as your own and,
even more importantly, how you can live your life as if you really
believe them?
Matt. 18:20
Matt. 28:20
Rom. 8:38, 39
Some of the most amazing stories about faith have been told by
Richard Wurmbrand, who suffered many years in prisons. Wurmbrand
recounted, for instance, how even in prison many Christians would
tithe. "When we were given one slice of bread a week and dirty soup
every day, we decided that we would faithfully 'tithe' even then.
Every tenth week we took the slice of bread and gave it to the weaker
brethren as our 'tithe' to the Master."—Richard Wurmbrand,
Tortured
For Christ
(Diane Books, 1967), p. 45. Only those who believe that
God was with them, even there in these terrible circumstances, could
do such things for their Master.
What can we do, even now, even before great trials come,
that could help make these promises the foundation of our
Christian life?
99
Wednesday
December 19
CREATOR AND DESTROYER (Amos 9:5, 6).
This section begins with a statement about "the Lord God of
hosts" and concludes with "the Lord is His name." What special
attributes of God are emphasized in these verses?
G
od is independent in will and power (see Ps. 115:3)—om-
nipotent. He not only rules the hosts of the heavenly bodies
but is the rightful Ruler of all created beings. He has all
authority in heaven and earth and is the One "who is gone into heaven,
and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorites and powers
being made subject unto him" (1 Pet. 3:22). These verses clearly
depict His might, majesty, and power, which will be revealed in a
stunning, awesome manner at the time of the judgment of Israel.
What vivid imagery demonstrates what happens when God's
power "touches" the land and the sea? Amos 9:5, 6.
God's fire melts the land as wax before the fire (see Mic. 1:3, 4).
Along with the other natural catastrophes used to destroy the earth at
the Second Coming, there may be many active volcanoes spewing
forth magma from the interior of the earth. In some ways, these
verses could represent, at least symbolically, what happens when
Christ returns.
Notice, too, the interesting contrast in verses 5 and 6 of Amos 9.
Verse 5 talks about the Lord melting the earth, making it rise up like
a flood; yet, verse 6 talks about His creative power, His putting His
layers in the sky and His strata upon the earth. In one part He's seen
as the Builder, in other the Destroyer.
What a contrast for the same Being!
In many ways, this contrast fits with God's role as depicted in
Scripture. Though we like to view God as the Creator, that's not His
only role. God is both Creator and Destroyer.
The crucial point is to understand just what it is that God creates,
and what it is that God destroys. Insight into this gives us great
insight into just what our God is like.
Look up these verses. What do they tell us about what God
creates and what God destroys? Gen. 6:13; Ps. 51:10; Rom. 6:6;
2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Thess. 1:8, 9; Rev. 21:5. By looking at what God
creates and destroys, we can learn something about the charac-
ter of God. What do these verses tell us, and how can we relate
this to our own understanding of God?
100
Thursday
December 20
THE SIFTING.
"For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel
among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the
least grain fall upon the earth" (Amos 9:9).
D
uring one of the religious wars in Europe, a general about to
besiege a village asked the king how his troops would be able
to distinguish between those who were on their side and those
who were the enemy's. The king replied, "Kill them all—God will
sort them out in the judgment."
However cavalier and brash those words, there is some truth there.
"The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Tim. 2:19), so that even
during this time of crisis as depicted in Amos, God will distinguish
between those who are faithful and those who aren't.
What did the Lord mean when he said that "not the smallest
grain shall fall to the ground" (NKJV) during this sifting time?
In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:25-30), Jesus
made it clear that both "the good and the bad" would grow together
and that only in the final harvest would they be separated, and that
would be His work alone. What the Lord seems to be saying in this
parable is, simply,
Don't judge others; leave that to Me.
List some texts that give the same message about not judging:
Of course, one could argue that these verses could have been cited
to tell Amos to keep his mouth shut and mind his own business. After
all, who was he to judge these people so harshly?
Though we are told not to judge others and that God is the
final judge, are there circumstances where, as a church body,
we need to make some judgments regarding the actions of
individuals within the church? How do we respond when situa-
tions like these arise? What is the difference between judging a
person's actions and judging that person himself or herself?
How do we make this crucial distinction?
101
Friday
December 21
F
URTHER STUDY:
Study the following to learn what one
question will be raised in the final judgment: "When the na-
tions are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes,
and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done
or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the
suffering.
"In that day Christ does not present before men the great work He
has done for them in giving His life for their redemption. He presents
the faithful work they have done for Him. To those whom He sets
upon His right hand He will say, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and
ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye
clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye
came unto Me.' But those whom Christ commends know not that
they have been ministering unto Him. To their perplexed inquiries
He answers, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these My brethren, ye have done it unto
Me.'"—The Desire of Ages,
p. 637.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Why must God, in the end, ultimately destroy sin? In other
words, could He not just leave it alone and let it run its own
natural course? Why is there divine intervention at the end
of time that ultimately leads to sin's eradication?
2.
Why is the Bible so clear about not judging others? Why is
this deemed such a bad thing? (Hint: Read Romans 2:1-4.)
3.
Think more about this notion of God as the Destroyer. How
does that idea fit in with God being a God of love? In what
ways do His acts of destroying represent a manifestation of
that love?
4.
Share with the class, if you can, some stories of Christians
who have remained faithful even under the most adverse
circumstances. What is the secret of their endurance and
their willingness to trust in God even when, from all out-
ward appearances, it would seem that God has abandoned
them to their fate? At the same time, if you know any
stories about those who have abandoned their faith because
of tragedy, talk about that with the class, as well. Why is it
that in some
cases,
those who face tragedy stay faithful, and
others, facing similar tragedies, lose their faith? What can
Luke 6:47-49 add to this discussion?
102
Decision in the River, Part 2
Maria Antonieta de las Muiiecas
A sense of relief swept over Celedonio as he lay on the narrow
sandbar. For the moment, at least, he was safe. He thanked God for
saving his life and asked God to forgive him for all his wrong deeds. He
felt utterly unworthy of God's forgiveness, but he prayed, "God, Your
will be done. But if You save my life, I will follow You."
Celedonio realized that the sandbar could disappear any moment
under the rising water. He slipped into the water and let the current
carry him along as he swam toward the shore. He could feel his
strength ebbing. Just as he thought he could go no farther, his foot
touched the river bottom.
Celedonio returned home to his family, determined to keep his
promise to God. He learned about a Bible class being offered by
Adventists and decided to attend. The Bible studies thrilled him. He
accepted the truths of God and was baptized. As his wife saw the
difference Christ made in Celedonio's life, she joined him. With his
family united in God, Celedonio answered God's call to preach the
gospel.
The family moved to a small town where no Adventists lived. They
visited their neighbors and talked about Christ. But their efforts met
with rejection. In time discouragement threatened to overwhelm
Celedonio. He asked the local church headquarters for help. With a
promise that someone would come to help him, Celedonio returned to
his work with new courage. He continued visiting and praying, and a
few people began to show an interest. One man, after listening to
Celedonio explain God's claim on human hearts, closed his liquor
store and converted it into a meeting house for believers.
Encouraged, Celedonio announced evangelistic meetings. But the
promised evangelist did not arrive, and Celedonio prepared to hold the
meetings himself.
Late that day a lone woman walked into town. Someone pointed her
to the former tavern where Celedonio was preparing for the meeting.
She was Maria, the promised Bible worker. She gave Bible studies to
24 people. Of these, 17 have been baptized. Celedonio built a mud
brick house that serves as a church for the new believers in the little
village in Bolivia where God has called him to work.
When people ask him when he decided to become a pastor, he tells
them it was during a long swim across a swift river.
Celedonio Flores Yujra is a lay pastor in Bolivia. Maria Antonieta
de las Muliecas is a
Global Mission worker in Portachuela, Bolivia.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
/
Email: gomission@gc.adventist.org
103
Lesson 13
*December 22-28
Restoration
Sabbath Afternoon
I
CAN IMAGINE
when Christ said to the little band around
Him, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel,' Peter said,
`Lord do you really mean we are to go back to Jerusalem and
preach the gospel to those who murdered you?' Yes,' said Christ,
`go, hunt up the man that spat in my face, tell him that he may have a
seat in my kingdom. Yes, Peter, go find that man that made the cruel
crown of thorns and placed it on my brow, and tell him that I have a
crown ready for him when he comes into my kingdom, and there will
be no thorns in it. Hunt up that man that took a reed and brought it
down over the cruel thorns, driving them into my brow, and tell him I
will put a scepter in his hand."—Dwight L. Moody, adapted.
This week, as we study God's promises of restoration, see how
Moody's scenario of Christ exemplifies the God we serve.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What images of the new earth are
presented in Scripture? In what ways was the return of the Jews
from exile symbolic of the new earth? Why is the hope of this final
restoration so crucial to what we believe? Does the world, in and
of itself, offer anything that hints to this final restoration, or must
we take it on faith? What did Christ accomplish on the cross that
gave everyone (even those implicated in His death) the possibility
to live in the new earth forever?
MEMORY TEXT: "The ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their
heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 29.)
104
Sunday
December 23
THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID.
"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is
fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his
ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old" (Amos 9:11).
S
omeone once asked famous evangelist Billy Graham if he were
an optimist or a pessimist. "I'm an optimist," he answered.
"I've read the last page of the Bible."
He ought to be. And we, too. And it's not just the last page of the
Bible, either, that should give us reasons to rejoice in our God, to
trust in His promises, and to be optimistic about the future. In various
places, both Testaments, in poetry and prose and in songs and letters,
present wonderful promises of a new existence, a restored earth
where all things become righteous, holy and true because all things
unrighteous, unholy, and untrue will no longer or ever again be.
Look up these texts and write down the details each one gives
regarding what the ultimate future holds for God's faithful:
Isa. 25:8
Isa. 65:25
Mark 12:25
1 Cor. 15:52-55
Col. 1:5
2 Pet. 3:13
Rev. 21:4
Rev. 21:1-7
Rev. 22:1-5
Using the above verses (and any others you can think of),
write a few paragraphs describing what we can piece together
about our future reward. Contrast this existence with the fate of
the lost. Can you think of anything in this life so worthwhile
that it's worth losing eternity over? If so, share it with the class
(no doubt, everyone would be interested in hearing what it is).
105
Monday
December 24
REBUILDING THE RUINS: THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES.
"After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of
David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins
thereof, and I will set it up" (Acts 15:16).
T
he immediate context of the last verses in Amos (Amos 9:11-
15) deals basically with God's promise, given in numerous
other places in the Hebrew Bible, that though the Hebrew
nation would go into captivity because of disobedience, God would
restore them to their land.
Yet, it doesn't end there. Centuries after Amos wrote, Acts 15 has
James quoting Amos 9:11. The scene was an early church-council
dealing with a crucial issue in the newly formed Christian church.
Read carefully Acts 15. Look at the context of James's use of
Amos. What is he talking about? Reading Amos 9, particularly
verses 11 and 12, can you see that they mean more than just a
restoration of the Jews back to their land? How does James use
those verses? What message is he giving?
"When there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said
unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago
God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should
hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth
the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he
did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying
their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:7-9).
Amos was predicting, not just the return of the Jews to the land,
but the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, a work that began
with the early church and which will culminate in the final proclama-
tion "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev.
14:6)—a work that we as a church have been called to engage in.
God plans to ultimately restore the world, cleanse it from sin, and
recreate it into what He had originally planned for it, only better. Yet He
isn't going to do that until everyone, somehow, has an opportunity to
hear the wonderful news that their sins have been paid for by the blood
of Jesus Christ and that through faith in Him a place is waiting for them
in this newly restored world. Think about what it means that we, as a
church, have a crucial role to play in that proclamation.
Read John 14:2, 3. Think about what it means that Jesus is
preparing a place for you personally. How do you understand
what that means? How should that impact your relationship to
Him now?
106
Tuesday
December 25
THE PLOWMAN OVERTAKES THE REAPER.
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall
overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth
seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills
shall melt" (Amos 9:13).
A
gain, though the immediate context is the idea of a repentant
Israel brought back to the land after years of captivity, the
symbolic message is of the final hope of all humankind, the
great redemption that God wrought for us through Christ on the cross
(Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14; Heb. 9:12).
In verse 13, Amos tells of the day when the plowman will catch up
with the reaper and the treader of grapes with him that soweth the
seed. In this scenario, the harvest is so abundant, so rich, so plentiful
and fruitful that it cannot be gathered in before the next round of
sowing. In other words, the one who plows the field will come across
the one who is still reaping the harvest because it is so big. And
though, of course, the language is figurative, the point is that through
Christ we have the promise of something so wonderful we can't even
begin to imagine it. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9).
Why would the Bible use the return of the Jews from exile as a
symbol of ultimate redemption at the end of the age? What was it
about that return that could make it a type or a symbol (however
faint) of the final deliverance of God's people? See also Revela-
tion 18:1-4. On the lines below, list a few parallels:
The promise of a whole new existence is the final end of all
our hopes as followers of Christ. Anything short of that is
insufficient. Review in your mind just what Christ did on the
cross that makes this promise of eternity certain as long as you,
despite your faults and shortcomings, remain in a saving rela-
tionship with Him.
107
Wednesday
December 26
OTHERWORLDLY HOPES.
"I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and
they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall
plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make
gardens, and eat the fruit of them" (Amos 9:14).
L
ook at the beauty of these sentiments, the wonderful idyllic
scene they present. What an incredible conclusion to what has
been almost nothing but word after word, line after line, verse
after verse, and chapter after chapter of warnings about sin, apostasy,
idolatry, oppression, perversion, and punishment. Little of what pre-
ceded this end gave hint that it could lead to this concluclusion. Only
divine intervention could bring about such a finale, only someone in-
spired by the Spirit could have dared predict such a possible outcome.
Indeed, left to themselves, the Israelite nation would have vanished long
ago, along with the Edomites, the Moabites, and the Jebusites and other
people who disappeared on the dust heap of history.
In the same way, when we look at the world around us, there's little
if anything within it itself that would give us hope for the future. Only
the most blind optimist after the twentieth century could still hope for
some sort of man-made utopia, especially when all previous attempts
to make a utopia created, instead, nothing but hellish totalitarian
systems that never lived up to their promises but, in fact, contradicted
them in almost every point.
And, even if mankind could build a better, or even a good world,
scientists predict that, eventually, the sun will blow up; such an
event, of course, would leave the race, and whatever utopia it man-
aged to create, with nothing to look forward to.
Fortunately, God's Word promises us such an unlikely ending that,
given all that precedes it, only a powerful, loving God could bring it
about—and He will, because He has promised, and He has sealed that
promise with, literally, His own blood.
In
Thus Spake Zarathustra,
German Frederich Nietzsche has
his character, Zarathustra,
say
to his followers: "I beseech you,
my brothers, remain faithful to the earth, and do not believe those
who speak to you of otherworldly hopes!" As Christians, in con-
trast, our only real hope is "otherworldly," in that the final point
of our faith isn't in a better world but a brand new one so unlike
what we have now it might as well be "otherworldly." Though, of
course, we have to live now in this world, with its daily toils and
struggles—what can we do to keep this final "otherworldly" hope
always before us in a way that will
give
us strength to press ahead
in a world that offers little hope and encouragement now?
108
Thursday
December
27
THE UNCONDITIONAL AND ETERNAL KINGDOM.
"And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more
be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the
Lord thy God" (Amos 9:15).
T
he last verse of Amos deals with the immediate context of the
promise of restoration after captivity. And though it presents a
beautiful and hopeful promise, that promise was conditional,
even if that conditionality is not specifically stated here (see, for
instance, Jer. 18:7-10). Though Israel had, indeed, been brought back
to the land, they were, centuries later, plucked up from the land the
Lord had given them. All of which proves the point that the type, the
symbol, only faintly represents the ultimate truth that it teaches, for
in the new heavens and the new earth that God creates—we, cer-
tainly, will never again be pulled up from what God has given us.
Read Daniel 7:14 and Daniel
7:27.
What do these verses say
about the nature of the kingdom that God will ultimately restore?
There's no question, thanks to Christ and what He accomplished
on the cross, that God will establish His everlasting kingdom. There's
no conditionality, no equivocation, no question on this issue: It will
come. Christ's death guarantees that.
Instead, the only variable, the only conditionality in the formula,
is ourselves, our will, our choices. Will we be there, part of this
unconditional and eternal kingdom, or do we face a death just as
eternal and unconditional?
How trivial all other questions seem before this one.
The great news, however, is that Jesus, on Calvary, died that
eternal death for us (Heb. 2:9) so that we can have a part in His
eternal kingdom. What He did at the Cross was unconditional, univer-
sal, and all-sufficient; it was for all humankind, everyone, no excep-
tions, and it sufficed to cover all our sins. No one was left out, no one
was overlooked, no one was skipped, even those who hung Him on
the cross. His death encompassed
all
humanity (Rom. 5:15-19),
even—and maybe especially—the worst among us. This is the es-
sence of the Cross of Christianity, of all that we believe as Christians.
What remains, then, is the human factor: How do we respond to
what God has, unconditionally, accomplished for us? Do we accept it,
or do we reject it? Through the word of Amos, as through all God's
prophets, from Moses to Ellen White, canonical and noncanonical, the
message is the same: "Seek Me and live."
109
Friday
December 28
F
URTHER STUDY:
Study the following passages to gain an
understanding of what other Bible writers have to contribute to
our understanding of the events associated with the day of the
Lord: Isa. 25:9; Zeph. 1:14, 18; Mal. 4:5; Matt. 16:27; 25:32; 1 Thess.
4:16, 17; 2 Pet. 3:10-13.
"Soon I heard the voice of God, which shook the heavens and the
earth. There was a mighty earthquake. Buildings were shaken down
on every side. I then heard a triumphant shout of victory, loud,
musical, and clear. I looked upon the company, who, a short time
before, were in such distress and bondage. Their captivity was turned.
A glorious light shone upon them. How beautiful they then looked!
All marks of care and weariness were gone, and health and beauty
were seen in every countenance. Their enemies, the heathen around
them, fell like dead men; they could not endure the light that shone
upon the delivered, holy ones. This light and glory remained upon
them, until Jesus was seen in the clouds of heaven, and the faithful,
tried company were changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
from glory to glory. And the graves were opened, and the saints came
forth, clothed with immortality, crying, 'Victory over death and the
grave'; and together with the living saints they were caught up to
meet their Lord in the
air."—Early Writings,
pp. 272, 273.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Through Adam, everyone faces inevitable doom; through
Christ the inevitable becomes avoidable, in that this doom
was no longer certain. Through Adam, the world as a whole
was condemned; through Christ, the world as a whole was
given a second chance, a reprieve, an opportunity to avert
condemnation. What we do as
individuals
with that second
chance is the ultimate question. But whatever choices we
make regarding what Christ has done for the world as a
whole, one crucial, objective, and unconditional fact re-
mains, one that is unchanged no matter how we respond to
it, and this is that Christ, as the second Adam—through
His perfect life, His atoning death, and His resurrection—
put the
whole world,
meaning everyone, in a new position
before the Father, one that offers each person the opportu-
nity, by faith, to be spared the condemnation that sin brings
and a chance to reside in His eternal and unconditional
kingdom. What was it that Christ accomplished on the
cross that has made this opportunity to enter this kingdom
possible, and what must our response be in order for what
He did to become ours?
110
:4111111
k
The Fall
Charlotte Ishkanian
Daniel Banu lay on the ground. Pain tore at his leg, which lay at an
odd angle. He knew it was broken.
The Banu family had left their home in Romania and come to Spain
in search of a better future. Daniel found work as a builder. The pay
was not high, but they could live on it as long as nothing unexpected
happened. Then, two weeks later, Daniel fell from the second floor of
the building on which he was working and suffered a compound
fracture of his leg.
At the hospital, a surgeon put a metal plate in his leg. When Banu
awoke, his wife stood tearfully beside him. "Where was your angel
when you fell?" she asked. He answered that if his angel had not been
there, the fall might have killed him; but God saved him.
Daniel returned home to recuperate. Without his income, the family
faced a serious crisis. Then Daniel noticed that the wound looked
infected. The doctor ordered antibiotics, but the infection spread
through his body. Doctors feared he might not live.
Daniel's wife worked an hour a day as a housekeeper when some-
one could stay with Daniel. This was the family's only income. She
went to buy Daniel's medicine but did not have enough money to pay
for it. She returned home crying. But the couple claimed God's prom-
ise in Psalm 46:1, "God is our help in trouble." They prayed that God
would not let them down. When three different people, virtual strang-
ers, offered them money, their faith was strengthened. Another organi-
zation paid their rent for six months and provided food.
The doctor advised surgery to remove the metal plate to save
Daniel's life, but the family could not afford the surgery. The doctor
said, "If you believe in prayer, you'd better pray. Only God can save
you now." The couple refused to give up hope that God would heal
Daniel. As they prayed, their faith grew stronger.
Slowly the infection subsided. After several months Daniel's leg
healed without surgery. When he was out of danger the doctor told him
that he thought Daniel would not live. "Only God saved you," he
confided. "I could not."
Six months after the accident, Daniel returned to work. "God has
brought us closer together and closer to Himself," Daniel testifies.
"When the earthly doors are closed, we still found that God's heavenly
windows are wide open."
Daniel Banu is a builder. He and his family live in a suburb of Madrid,
Spain. Charlotte Ishkanian is editor of
Mission.
Produced by the Office of Mission
Sabbath School—Personal Ministries Department of the General Conference
Email: gomiSsion@gc.adventist.org
Bible Study Guide for First Quarter, 2002
The great controversy between good and evil is the theme of
The
Cosmic Conflict Between Christ and Satan,
by Dr. John M. Fowler.
Lesson 1: War in Heaven
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Sunday:
God and His Perfect Creation (Gen. 1:31; Ps. 104:24, 25).
Monday:
From the Anointed to the Evil One (Ezek. 28:12-17).
Tuesday:
Lucifer's Sin (Isa. 14:12-15).
Wednesday:
Lucifer's Sinister Presumptions (Isa. 14:13, 14).
Thursday:
Satan Cast Out of Heaven (Revelation 12).
MEMORY TEXT: 1 John 4:16, NRSV.
SABBATH GEM: How God chose to handle the conflict of Lucifer's
rebellion illustrates His loving character. As you study and begin to
understand how the great controversy is won in your own life, remem-
ber that Lucifer was not strong enough then (when he first rebelled
against Christ), and he is not strong enough now to defeat those who
abide in Christ.
Lesson 2: Issues in the Great Controversy
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Sunday:
God's Law.
Monday:
God's Character and Authority (Jer. 31:3; John 3:16; Rom 5:8).
Tuesday:
God the Son (Matt. 4:8-11; John 14:10).
Wednesday:
God's Justice and Mercy (Rev. 12:10; Zech. 3:1-5).
Thursday:
God's Prerogatives (Deut. 10:12, 13; Rev. 14:7; Matt. 7:21).
MEMORY TEXT: John 14:10, NKIV.
SABBATH GEM: Though the Bible doesn't explain all the specific
issues involved in the great controversy, the overall biblical portrayal
of these issues centers around God's character and His law, which
reveals that character.
Lessons in Braille
The regular adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide is available free
each month in Braille and 16 2/3 rpm records to blind and physically
handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink print. This includes
individuals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, acci-
dent, old age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-print
publications. Contact the Christian Record Services, Box 6097, Lincoln,
NE 68506.
112
Marc au itO/h
a
jOitbless so
How to
have a
faith
that
works
Knowing
God
in the Real
World,
by Jon Paulien, clarifies
the basics of the gospel mes-
sage, and demonstrates how
that message can be expressed in a way that makes sense in the
secular world.
What does it mean to have a relationship with Someone
you cannot see, hear, or touch?
What does it mean to pray in a computerized world?
What difference does it make to know Him?
These are some of the questions addressed in this book
written for real people who are attempting to have a real faith
in an all-too real world.
0-8163-1812-3. Paperback.
US$12.99, Cdn$19.49
op
Pacific Press°
Available at your local ABC,
1-800-765-6955.
Or read
a sample chapter first and order online:
www.adventistbookcenter.com
© 2001 * Prices subject to change. 352/15590
Union
Churches Companies Membership Population
Caribbean Union Conference
Central American Union Conference
Colombian Union Conference
Cuban Union Conference
Dominican Union Mission
French Antilles-Guiana Union Mission
Haitian Union Mission
North Mexican Union Conference
Puerto Rican Union Conference
South Mexican Union Conference
Venezuela-Antilles Union Mission
West Indies Union Conference
500
1,227
777
189
482
116
327
473
260
1.185
446
599
95
887
703
190
363
46
565
912
29
3,535
306
72
168,556
437,322
180.898
22.478
141.504
25,074
243,984
129.009
32,705
397,608
105.486
194,590
3,450.200
36.854,000
40.037,000
11,139,000
8,433,000
1,087,000
6,423,000
67,754,500
3,916,000
31,884,500
24,418,800
2,977,000
Totals
6.582
7,703
2,079,304
238,384,000
Totals as of
December
31, 2000
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PUERTO
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ANTIGUA
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‘MARTINIOUE
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Georgetown
Paramaribo
Cayenne
Mission Projects:
1.
Lay Bible training institute, Honduras.
2.
50 chapels, Central Guatemala Conference.
3.
Chapels, seminary church, and youth campsite, Cuba.